Introduction
Arabic medieval texts are the outcome of copying production. The production of the texts relied both on the transmissions between teacher and student; and on commercial life such as the demand for book selling. Subsequently, a scriptural tradition arose in Islamic World. As it happened, a professional class of scribes, secretaries and copyists came into being. Up to now, the remnant of the book production is still preserved in manuscripts which are scattered in various libraries.
Taken from this tradition, the object of the text and transmission course is elaborating a history and problems of text transmission in medieval Islam through the extant collection of Arabic manuscripts. It highlights various internal aspects of texts such as authorship, authority of texts, problems in writing, physical condition, marginal notes, marks and forms of letter. Besides, it analyzes socio-historical and transmission methods of texts such as sama’a, qara’a, muarada muqaballa and maktaba .
Humphreys (1991) argues that the bulk of this Islamic book production is still need to be studied carefully. Many manuscripts and the printed editions are unidentified and doubtful on account of the variants in every single manuscript. Generally, cases can be found in manuscripts showing considerable differences regarding sentences, words and pages. Therefore, the work on the Arabic medieval manuscripts is wide and challenging.
Regarding the condition of all manuscripts, Arabic manuscripts have problems such as unreadable paths, leaking diacritical dots, marginal notes, leaking vocalization, tears, undated and undetected copyist are prevailing in the manuscripts. For printed editions, good understanding of authenticity of the manuscripts, which the printed edition rests on, is doubtful. Presumably, palaeography, the science of deciphering and determining the date of ancient documents or systems of writing, is a pertinent appliance to solve the problems above. However, Arabic Palaeography is rather a new scope compared with the western tradition. Therefore, western methods and approach toward manuscripts are useful combined with the basic knowledge of Arabic literature to analyze the Arabic manuscripts problems.
In order to show this, I will present in this paper and edition that I have made myself on the basis of two Leiden’s Manuscripts of the text Tarikh Yamini by al_Utbi, together with a discussion of a lithograph edition of the same text. The Leiden’s Manuscripts will be analyzed and compared together with the lithograph edition and the tahqiq edition which is based on several India manuscripts.
The structure of this paper will be divided into two sections. Firstly, I will highlight and overview the historical aspects of the manuscripts, author and extant editions. Secondly, I will present my edition from the collation of the manuscripts and lithograph edition of the same text.
A. Description
1. Biography of The Author
The author of the book is Abu al-Nasr Muhammad ibn Abd al-Gabbar al-Utbi (died 413/1022) , widely known as a poet, historian and secretary in the Gazhnawi Sultanate. He was born in Rayy and spent his life as a secretary in the court of Ghaznawi sultanate . His ancestor was a noble family of Utba whom had a good position under the princess of the house of Saman, king of Khurasan .
In General, the description of his life is not definite. Short information is not available but simply about his career. On the other hand, the historical line of his intellectual genealogy is only slightly discussed. However, it was known that he was closed to Abu al-Fath al-Busty, a great stylist writer of his time. It is believed that he is indebted to him for his own style of writing.
Early in his career, he was introduced by his maternal uncle into the elite bureaucracy of the Samanid rulers as the secretary of two Turkish Generals Abu Ali simdjuri and Ziyarid Kabus b. Wushmgir in Nishapur. Only after working with Sabuktigin of Ghazna dynasty, did he become popular. For years, he continued his career as a servant of many authorities, working with several governors in various regions. During his civil service, he worked as a secretary, but the highest position which he occupied was Sahib Al-Barid (Minister of post and information) in the Sabuktigin Dynasty. Finally, His career was coming to end when he became involved in political conflict with governors, the condition which forced him to leave his job and retire until his death in 413/1022, in the Ghazna.
During his lifetime, he wrote several books, poems and la taif al-kuttab, but his contribution to history through his book Tarikh Yamini has attracted most attention. Hereby, experts are interested in this book especially because of the ploy that al-Utbi used in the story.
2. Content of the book
As mentioned above, the book presents an historical account of Ghaznawi Dynasty and the early Islamic Kingdom of India. The book’s content is generally explaining the rulers of the Dynasty. According to Ali Nooshahr the first edition of Yamini book had written by al-Utbi in 1021 CE . About the name of the book, the Manani edition mentions that the name was derived from the figure of sultan Yamini .
The book is critical for understanding of the Islamic history of India, Afghanistan and Persia, because it is the earliest book which explains Ghaznawy power under Subuktigin. Many later books were presenting the other stages of many Muslim ruler in India such as Tarikhu-s Sabuktigin by Abu-l fazl Baihaki, Tarikh-i firishta,habibus-siar and so forth .
The book used khabar method, a narrative explanation, to explain the historical narration about the Ghaznavi Dynasty. Next to narrating the history, he puts poems as a praise of the exemplary attitude on a pious sultan characters. Besides the personal story of popular figures, it also tells about the expedition of Sultan Mahmud to India. Convenient access to officials made him get first-hand information of the characteristic and situation surrounding official though his position and condition of his time.
Apart from the eminent place the book has in history, some critics have shown several mistakes both in explaining the places and presenting the story. In the eyes of modern critics, his personal competency in writing history is doubtful. It was because he was neither professional historian nor a court chronicler. Furthermore, his basic knowledge of topography is very poor, and he is also ignorant of the India language. In fact, he never accompanied the expeditions . The other absence in his book is caused by the character of Islamic medieval books which tend to fail to subjectivity. Very often the content of the book was based on ideology and religious views, likewise al-Utbi’s book.
In spite of it deficiencies the book is still useful either from the content of the book or from the socio-historical context. It provides information about early expeditions and the spreading of Islam to India. Yet, it presents also writing culture and method in the Medieval Islam.
3. The Growth of the text
The Yamini text, as it was explained by al-Manani in his introduction to his commentary of the text. Its title derives from name of Sultan of Sabuktigin that is Yamini Daulah. The texts are estimated to have been written down in early eight century. Yet how the text spread out is unknown and obscure. Hence, a number of the extant MS needs to be analyzed thoroughly on their historical aspects.
The growth of the text is also related to the function of the text. From this point of view, it is known that history at the time was not studied by common people; it would be given only to a future king and government officials. Therefore, the position of historical texts in Medieval Islamic intellectual life was not as extensive as other texts like fiqh.
The variant of the text of Yamini points to the popularity of the books amidst other historical books about the Islamic East. This text was preserved in a number of manuscripts in various libraries from India to Manchester. It also was translated into Persian and English besides the Arabic versions. It includes two commentaries by two people respectively after his death. However, regrettably there is no critical edition of al-Utbi works. Many of the extent editions were printed and translated in the nineteenth century and not reprinted, but the English translation has been reprinted.
Up to now, from marginal notes scholars have successfully dated the time and the years in manuscripts. Yet, they still do not provide any facts regarding text distribution. All the facts present little information of authority level of the texts. At least, the closest MS, which is close to the life of the author, is one of the Leiden manuscripts. It could have been spread through a copying process, but how and in which context the manuscript was copied is still unclear. However short information about history of Yamini text is briefly noted in Brockelmann (GAL) based on the age of each manuscript . According to GAL, the manuscripts in Leiden, Paris and England are the oldest.
Subsequently, the linkage between all manuscripts is related each to the others. Some editions of manuscripts, the edition that is preserved in England and the one in Paris, were copied from India manuscripts . but there is no detailed information between these manuscripts and notion on the relation the Leiden manuscripts.
MS. Or.618.a and 618.6, Leiden editions.
The Leiden collection manuscript contains of two manuscripts. The first MS was a library collection, while the second MS is belong to the Levini Warneri’s collections. Both are copied editions, but only the second manuscript, the name of the copyist is known namely Ahmad al-Shahini al-Muqoddasi.
The first manuscript contains time and date in its front page. It is stated in small configuration of notes which indicates the date of the text that is 23 Rabi’l 904. Time indication can be the time when it was copied, bought or collected. In contrast, the second manuscript has no exactly date and time.
MS. 5978, MS6196, Paris
According to Brockelmann, there are only two editions in Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris, but from the explanation in sites of the Educational Council on Indic Tradition (ECIT), there are three Arabic editions and one in Persia.
MS. 290[719].288[692]. 291[205], English editions
These English manuscripts are copied from the India Manuscript which was brought by Sprenger to London in 1857, after retiring from his duty in East India Company. He went to Calcutta in 1843. The following five years, he worked in Muslim college in Delhi as a writer, editor and collector of Islamic literature. He was also responsible for the lithograph version from the tahqiq of Yamini text which was edited with Mulavy Asraf Ali, the head board of Delhi College.
These manuscripts consist of five different versions which are preserved in Manchester: John Reylands University Library with number and the other two in the British Museum Photographic Service, London. All manuscripts are stored in microfilm. The five versions which are in Reylands university library that are; first MS. 290[719]. entitled Kitab Tarikh al-’Utbi al-musamma al-Yamini. Second MS. 291 [205] entitled Tarikh al-Malik al-Mu’ayyad Yamin al-Dawlah wa Amin al-Millah Abu al-Qasim Mahmud b. Nasir al-Din Abi Mansur Subuktigin. Third is MS. 288[692], entitled Tarikh al-Yaminiyah. Fouth, a Microfilm (positive) of MS. 291[205]. Fifth, modern hand entitled: Tarikh Salatin Sicistan wa- ma wara’ al-Nahr wa Khurasan. For the collection in British Museum Photographic Service, London, the code of edition is MS. 6196, England. 1214 .
MS. 5616, India’s editions.
Reliable information about Indian manuscripts is explained in Brockelmann where the Indian edition is only one. This India Manuscript was recomposed in tahqiq or tashih by Moulawy and Sprenger. Currently, this lithograph edition is available in Leiden library collection. In general, the lithograph is used only one edition of manuscripts, it is characterised by many of marginal note and correction in each page, as well as, the absence of critical apparatus.
Beside above explanation about the MS in various libraries, a number of other editions is mention in Brocklemenn . However, the list is neither clear nor informative. It mentions only names of people and places such as Weliudin, Hamid, As’ad, Fatih and Asir, Bairut, Mosul and so forth. Therefore, besides the edition in Leiden, Paris, England and India, the other editions of manuscripts are generally unclear.
Other Editions
There are several translations and commentary books complementing the manuscripts editions. This text was commented on by two people; the first commentary is Basatin Al-Fudala by Abdul Allah al-Nadjati.ca (120 H/1320). The second is two volume of al-Yamini al-Musamma Bi al-Fatha al-Wahbi ala Tarik al-Utbi by Ahmad Al-Manini dated 1870 . In the encyclopedia of Islam, there is a notion about the possible access to this book and the necessity of critical analysis of this book. This book has been published by several people who called it tashih, or commentar, even leading to translation into English and Persian. .
The next versions are Persian translation and printed in Tehran. One of these was translated by Furuddin Mah in 1334 AH r. and the other by Abu Sharaf Maulana Nasih bin Zafar bn Saad Almunshi Jarbadkani Mah ca.(602/1205-6). The latest version of Persian translation later translated from Persia into English by James Reynolds in 1858 in London and published by Oriental Translation Fund.
The last edition is the lithograph of tahqiq version of Yamini books by Moulavy and Aloys Sprenger (1813-1893) , an Austrian Orientalist who was an expert in Arabic literature. This edition was published by Delhi College in 1847. It consists of four hundred and forty three folios. Moreover the entire text is full of notes and corrections showing the difficulties of editing the texts.
B. Collation
In selecting and composing my critical edition of Yamini text, I will use the Leiden’s MS edition. Under this condition, two front pages and two end pages will be selected to analyze and to compose the critical edition. Primarily, the choice of these two manuscripts is based on two reasons:
Firstly, it relates to the places and the access possibility to the manuscript. Preserved in university’s library, the MS is affordable and could be accessed easily. Although, a number of manuscripts are scattered in various libraries, it would take too much time to collect the editions due to far one to the others. In addition, access to Arabic medieval manuscripts on the internet is easy. However, Yamini manuscripts are not available on any sites or websites of Arabic Manuscripts. Therefore, Leiden’s MS are predominant. Secondly, both manuscripts are readable. So that, it will be easier to create a critical edition from Leiden’s MS.
Beside these two manuscripts, to establish the critical edition I will utilize the Arabic edition by Molawy and Sprenger entitled Tarikh Yamini. The choice is basically rest on two points; first principally, it is a tahqiq edition of India’s MS. Thereby, it will compare between Leiden MS and India’s MS. Secondly, the edition is not similar to the two Leiden manuscripts.
1. Or.618 a
The title of the book is Kitab Yamini Sarah Al-Akhbar Shulton Yamini Daulah Wa Amir Millah Abu Qasim Mahmuddin Amir Nashirudin Abu Mansur Sabuktigin.
In general, the manuscripts are well preserved. The book has a leather cover which according to Witkam’s catalog; is the bookbinding type from early Islamic book binding. Furthermore, it has an Illuminated front page with several unreadable notes in whole part of places. One of the notes gives information regarding time, but what it’s relation to the text that it provides the age of the text. Any information about the owner of the text of the copyist or the time when it was bought or copied is still unclear. There is a colophon on the last pages but there is no date in is stated. As it was mentioned above, the only notes mentioning the year is on the front page where it is noted 931 H.
From front appearance the texts is 23 cm long and width 15 cm. The entire book consists of 222 pages with seventeen, eighteen or twenty lines every page. Each page is readable, though in some part due to age the paper has such holes, tears and some disappeared parts which contributes to inconvenient to read. It use inconsistent letters some in Persian types of letter some are unclear. The letter was written by using black ink and some red ink. This combination of two inks is used to mark the ending of the word, as subtitle. In fact, there is a remark by the curator.
2. Or. 618 b
The MS entitled kitab yastamil’ ala tarikh min daulah wa amin millah wa abu Qosim Mahmud bin sabuktigin wa madah muatama tuhun wa aihbaruhun.It is a copied edition which noted in colophon by Ahmad Al-Sahini Al-Muqadasi. Information regarding date and time are not mentioned. This Ms came from the collection of Levini Warneri which was donated to Leiden library.
Internal appearance of the Ms is similar to the first MS. It is 23 cm long and 15 cm wide. The number of pages is 255. It is not a full copy of the text and some parts are missing. The case that is normal in every manuscript. In addition, each page has seventeent lines per page and has a colophon on page 160.
Two inks are used both to write letter and to mark, write dots and the subtitle. All the words in the book are punctuated by the copyist in red ink, including some subtitles. It is sometime, utilized to underline a word. The category of scripts nasta’liq , the script were popularized in Persia. Some pencil corrections and notes by Levini Warneri appear as marginal notes.
3. Collation
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم )وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وآله(
الحمد لله الضاهر بآياته الباطن بـذاته القريب برحمته البعيد يعزته الكريم بآلآيه العظيم بكبريائه القادر فلايمانع والقاهر فلاينازع والعزيز فلا يضام والمنيع فلايرام والمليك الذى له الاقضية والاحكام الذى تفرد بالبقاء وتوحـد بالعز والسناء واستاثرباحاسن الاسمأ ودلّ قدرته بخلق الارض والسماء كان ولامكان ولازمان ولابنينا ولا ملك ولاانسان فاوجداالمعدوم ابداعا واحدث مالم يكن انشاء واختراعا جلّ وتعالى فيما خلق عن احتذاء صورة واستدعاء مشورة. واقتفاء رسم ومثال واقتفاء رسم ومثال وافتقادالى نظر قياس واستدلال ففى كل ما ابدع وصنع وفطرو قدردليل غلى انه الواحد بلا شريك ووزير والقادر بلاظهر ونصير والعالم بلا تبصير وتذكير والحكيم بلاروية وتكفير. والحي الذي لايموت بيده الخير وهو على كل شيئ قدير. رفع السماء عبرة للنظار. وعلة لنظلم والانوار وسببا للغيوث والامطار وحيوة للحول والقفاد ومعاشا للوحوش والاطيار ووضع الارض مهادا للابدان وقرادا الحيوان وفرشا للجنوب والمضاجع ويساط للمكاسب والمنافع وذلولا اطلاب الرزق وارباب البضائع. وشخص الجبال اوتادارسية واعلاما بادية عيونا جارية وارحاما لاجنة الاعلاق حاوية وجعل البحار مغائض لفضول الانهار ومغائر لسيول الامطار تحوى من الدرو المرجان بتاتا. وتنـع بين الملح الاجاج عذابافرتا وتقدقدف للآكلين لحما طرياّ وتحمل اللابسين جواهرو حليا واستخلف على عمارة عالمه من انتخبهم من خلقه وآثرهم بالهامه ودربهم باوامره واحكامه وكان اعلم بهم من الملأكة حيث قالوا اتجعل فيها من يفسد فيها ويسفك الدّماء ونحن نسبح بحمدك ونقدس لك قال انىّ اعلم مالاتعلمون واقام عليهم مهيمنا من لدنه يهدهم الرشاد ويحذرهم الفساد ويرجيهم الثواب ويندرهم العقاب ولم يقتصر على ما اقامه به من الحجة واوضحه من الحجة حتى انبعث الانبياء صلوات الله عليهم اجمعين.
اذا نحن انباسالمين بانفس كرام رجت امرافخاب رجأءها فانفسنا خير الغنيمة انها توبووفيها ماء ها وحياءها واعزى بى برد الملك ابن شمسه يمين الدولة وامين الملة فى عظيمة لولا ان الهمه الله الاناة وآشعر الحصاة فنقر ونقب واستشف اعتشاف اعطاف البلاع فعل من جرب ودرب لثارث على منه داهية لاتبقى ولاتدر ولااشطارت عباقيه بغنى عليها الشعر والبشر فمن الله على بأن فضح الفاضح فيمازوره وكسف وجهه وكوره واهواه فيما حفره وخنقه بقوى ماضفره وسخم وجهه بنور الافتعال وكشف عورته لفحول الرجال وجعله عبرة للغابرين بشرح هده الاحوال فمن قوء هده الفصول فليحمدالله تعالى على سلامة من مثلها والبرأة من فوادح الاوراد وقوادح الناروليعلم ان الاشاة نعقب على الايام عبا وبيلا خطبا جليلا ولسانا كالحسام صقيلا وقبح الله من بقص عمره على زيادة الاثام ومساءة الانام وحيازة الملام والتصدى لزور الكلام ويرحم الله عبدا قال آميـنا
)تم كتاب اليمني فى شرح اخبر السلطان يمين الدوله وامين الملة ابن القاسم محمد سبكتكين ومدح مقاماته فى عديده وانصاره ومايتصل بها من اخبار ولاة الاطرف فى جوارح مما جمعه ابو النصر محمد عبد الجبار العتبي معجز الكتاب و محرزا الاداب نورالله حفرته وبيض عزته(.
هده الفصول بها ليحمدالله تعالى على سلامة من مثلها والبرأة من فوادح الاوراد ……………. (وقوادح الناروليعلم ان الاشاة نعقب على الايام عبا ثقيلا وغبا وبيلا) فخطبا جليلا ولسانا كالحشام صقيلا وقبح الله من بقص عمره على زيادة الاثام ومساءة الانام وحيازة الملام والتصدى لزور الكلام
ويرحم الله عبدا قال آميـنا
Conclusion
Tarikh Yamini has a good reputation among other history books about India. It is not only attracting many criticism but also complement. The text in arranged Story telling and style in presenting a story are good. Even though, it has also criticism from contents due to personal competency of the author. On the other hand there are a number of translations and commentary edition compiled. As a matter of fact, from the extant editions, the English translation has been reprinted several times. Regrettably, neither the autograph nor the critical edition is available.
Taken Leidens’ MS and lithograph edition from India manuscripts as based text for the collation, this paper has elaborated both internal and external aspect of Yamini texts. From the internal aspect of the texts can be concluded that both manuscripts are share differences and similarity. To some extent, they are different on the style of writing, the uncategorized khatt, different in number of pages and some part of sentences. However, they are similar as copied text, in Length and width, and the cover of the texts. In addition, the difference between Leiden’s MS and lithograph edition is considerable, but it is not simply critical.
In the first manuscript some of the letter is missing such as in several pages which state the subtitle of the illustration. In the word’s absence both copyists and curators have added the missing word by using the black ink to write the word and correct it. Meanwhile the second manuscript has losing several pages in the middle of the book and has another extension after the colophon.
To evaluate historical (external) aspect of the text, many problems are frequently encountered. Only in the first manuscript, information about date and time is mentioned. Though the entire extant edition is copied edition, the method of text transmission is unclear. Therefore, the exception is made for two Leiden’s manuscript; one is donation from Levini Warne’s collection, while another is bought by Leiden’s curator.
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