Shāhnāmah (MS Add.269)

<p style='text-align: justify;'> A richly illuminated and almost complete copy of the Shahnamah with less than a page missing of its prose introduction, probably copied in the 16th/17th Century C.E. The drop-shaped <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/11'>Golkonda seal</a> on the first page appears to be that of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, Sultan of Golkunda, 1565-1612 with the date 1012 [1603/4 C.E.] and a later inscription dated 1091 [1610/11 C.E.]. There is no indication of when the manuscript was completed and no mention of its place of production. The <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/11'>ex libris</a> on the first page is signed by Chas Wilkins, librarian of the East India Company with the date 15th August 1806, which indicates the manuscript's provenance.<br /><br /> The double page frontispiece depicting <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/12'>Sulayman enthroned</a> and <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/13'>Bilqis enthroned</a> is followed by a luxuriously executed double page illumination in gold and polychrome <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/14'>[2v, 3r]</a>, which ornates the beginning of the introduction and also includes an <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/14'> ex libris of a royal library</a>. The following eleven miniatures found in the text suggest an unusual choice of scenes and depict in order of their appearance: <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/47'>Kayumars enthroned</a>, <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/213'>Guruy executing Siyavusha</a>, <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/263'>Kay Khusrau appointing Tus to lead an expedition to Turan</a>, <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/318'>Kamus fighting Giv and Tus</a>, <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/366'>a full scale battle between the armies of Iran and Turan</a>, <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/448'>Rustam rescuing Bizhan from the pit</a>, <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/559'>Luhrasp enthroned</a>, <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/613'>Isfandiyar's second labour: fighting the lions</a>, <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/683'>Rustam killing Shaghad before dying</a> and <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/855'>Bahram Gur killing a dragon in India</a>.<br /><br /> The manuscript is bound in multi-coloured leather with gilded medallions and ornations on the <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/1'>front</a> and <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/1139'>back</a> cover and on the <a href='http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-ADD-00269/1140'>flap</a>. </p><p style='text-align: justify;'> This item was included in the Library’s 600th anniversary exhibition <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='https://exhibitions.lib.cam.ac.uk/linesofthought/artifacts/shahnamah/'><i>Lines of Thought: Discoveries that changed the world</i></a>. </p><p style='text-align: justify;'>Transcription produced by <a target='_blank' class='externalLink' href='https://kairawan.org/'>Kairawan AI</a></p> A richly illuminated and almost complete copy of the Shahnamah with less than a page missing of its prose introduction, probably copied in the 16th/17th Century C.E. The drop-shaped Golkonda seal on the first page appears to be that of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, Sultan of Golkunda, 1565-1612 with the date 1012 [1603/4 C.E.] and a later inscription dated 1091 [1610/11 C.E.]. There is no indication of when the manuscript was completed and no mention of its place of production. The ex libris on the first page is signed by Chas Wilkins, librarian of the East India Company with the date 15th August 1806, which indicates the manuscript's provenance. The double page frontispiece depicting Sulayman enthroned and Bilqis enthroned is followed by a luxuriously executed double page illumination in gold and polychrome [2v, 3r], which ornates the beginning of the introduction and also includes an ex libris of a royal library. The following eleven miniatures found in the text suggest an unusual choice of scenes and depict in order of their appearance: Kayumars enthroned, Guruy executing Siyavusha, Kay Khusrau appointing Tus to lead an expedition to Turan, Kamus fighting Giv and Tus, a full scale battle between the armies of Iran and Turan, Rustam rescuing Bizhan from the pit, Luhrasp enthroned, Isfandiyar's second labour: fighting the lions, Rustam killing Shaghad before dying and Bahram Gur killing a dragon in India. The manuscript is bound in multi-coloured leather with gilded medallions and ornations on the front and back cover and on the flap. This item was included in the Library’s 600th anniversary exhibition Lines of Thought: Discoveries that changed the world. Transcription produced by Kairawan AI