illustrated with 14 miniatures in the text.
North India, probably Lucknow, second half of 18th century.
The paper used is very likely Indian paper produced in the eighteenth century, laid without chain lines and lightly polished, and the style of the miniatures indicates production in Lucknow, where the author died in 1786. Therefore it is very likely that this manuscript was either copied during the author's lifetime or shortly after his death in Lucknow in the late eighteenth century. Fihrist lists only two other copies of this text, and both of these are described as eighteenth-century and illustrated ('MS. S. Digby Or. 190' at the Bodleian and 'ms. 24931' at SOAS).
Single volume, illuminated manuscript on laid paper without chain lines, in Urdu, complete, 108 leaves plus two additional fly-leaves at the end, 225 x 155 mm.; text in double-column, 11 lines black nasta'liq with headings in red, 14 illuminated minaitures in the text executed in a Lucknow style, illuminated head-piece opening the text, text-block ruled in gilt, wider double-ruling in blue, lower margin trimmed with occasional loss to lower blue ruling, one folio torn along upper edge with loss to text (facing miniature with elephants), catch-words throughout, some light thumbing to outer margins, a few smudges to the text; near-contemporary green silk over pasteboards, spine hinges repaired, overall an attractive volume.
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