880-03 Kitāb-i Guldastah, [1236, i.e. 1820 or 1821] 880-02 Guldastah

Shelfmark: Ann Arbor, University of Michigan, Special Collections Library, Isl. Ms. 1010 Origin: As appears in inscription (colophon) on opening leaf, transcription completed 1236 [1820 or 21]. Accompanying materials: a. Photocopy of a letter, from C. A. Storey at the India Office, Whitehall, London, to Mr. Turner, 4 January 1927: "The title of the Persian book which you left with me some time ago is Guldastah (i.e. The Nosegay) and the author Ray Govinda Rama Rao. It was completed at Masulipatan in the year 1236 of the Muhamadan era (=1820-1 A.D.). As you will see from the slips which I have inserted at a number of points, the contents are miscellaneous, but the greater part of the book consists of extremely brief historical summaries relating mainly to Southern India. The pictures of course have little artistic value and the work itself is unimportant. Such things have no fixed market value, and it is always difficult to estimate what they will fetch, but I do not think it would be possible to sell this manuscript for more than £1 (one pound) and it might even be difficult to find any one who would give so much. "I must apologize for keeping the manuscript so long. "Yours sincerely "C.A. Storey" -- b. Photocopy of a letter, from "Ernest [Turner?]" at the India Office to "Alice," 5-1-27: "I have at last got the promised report on your Persian book and send it herewith. It is evidently not a treasure, but the Map of the World near the beginning is rather fascinating, as it seems to omit Europe Asia Africa America and most other places." -- c. Slip of paper stamped "Rare Book Room/Stephen Spaulding Memorial" and inscribed in pencil: SS-4077/Edwards cat 784:198/£5" -- d. Two cards with writing of Emilie Savage-Smith [?]: "Personal family tree/Moghul (NW India/illus. fine late 18th c./go thru & remove paper slips w/ ID" and "SS Isl. Ms. shelved on VB,1" -- e. Slip of paper: "Counted for 1968/69 Annual Report"; in hand of Jamison: "Letter from C. A. Storey laid in." Former shelfmark: Mich. Isl. Ms. temp. no. 159 Binding: Boards covered in shell marbled paper (in brown, blue, yellow, and red) with brown leather over spine and board corners (half binding) ; Type III binding (without flap) ; pastedowns and flyleaves in untinted laid paper ; sewn in cream thread over three tapes / cords (flexible sewing) ; overall in quite poor condition with cover fully detached at spine with losses of leather and lining (adhesive exposed), sewing almost entirely failed, abrasion, red rot, staining, etc. ; housed in box for protection. Support: European laid paper with 8 laid lines per cm. (horizontal), chain lines spaced 24 mm. apart (vertical) and watermarks of "S & C WISE 1818" (fol.1, etc.) and heart divided quarterly with initials "E V I C" and "1818" below (see fol.3, etc. and compare Heawood no.3466, in sample dated 1823), thin and sturdy, dark cream in color ; two leaves on a non-European (likely Indian) laid paper. Decoration: Some keywords and headings rubricated, many others overlined in red ; written area throughout surrounded by red or black double rule-border ; illustrated with several diagrams (namely one full-page color representation of the source of growth and spiritual attributes and of a wheel in orange and red, along with four full-page architectural layouts / plans and one half-page world map in black and white) and portraits of various rulers or legends (two full-page and roughly 21 half to three-quarter page paintings, varying in size, most heavily employing pastel colors such as lavender, pink, pale yellow, mint green, red, dark orange, etc.) ; some paintings cut from other pages and pasted on to the present leaves. Script: Nastaʻlīq with elements of shikastah ; fine Indian hand, varying in size ; serifless with effect of words descending to baseline, elongation and exaggerated thickness of horizontal strokes, pointing mainly in distinct or conjoined dots, sweeping descenders (final yāʼ often uncurved, final nūn often reversed or recurved). Layout: Roughly 17-33 lines per page on the diagonal, much variation depending on whether an illustration is present ; every other page left blank (i.e. only the recto of each leaf has been employed except for two cases where an illustration / portrait has been supplied on the verso, see fols.8-9). Collation: Likely originally quinions, most bifolia now split and sewing failing ; foliation in faint brown ink (reversed, i.e. proceeds as though the codex were read left to right). Colophon: "مراد حق ما بود آنچه گفتم ز هجرت ده صد دو سی و شش بود سنه ١٢٣۶ تحریر تمام شد [؟] مدینه مچهلی پتن" Title from inscription on opening leaf. Ms. codex. "Inserted paper slips describe contents specifically: [1] 'A note on the Copernican theory that the Earth & the other planets revolve round the Sun.' [2] 'A list of the Muhammadan rulers of northern India.' Accompanying illustration shows Indian ruler with an English king or governor. [3] 'A sketch of the history of the Marhatta kingdom to the time of Baji Rao.' [4] 'Plan of a fort (apparently at Daulatabad).' [5] 'Portrait of Sultan Abu 'l-Hasan Shah, the last king of Golconda, who died A.D. 1700.' [6] 'Statement concerning the revenues of the Subahs of the Deccan.' [7] 'Plan of Hyderabad.' [8] 'Account of Asaf-Jah.' [9] 'Map of the World.' [10] 'Geographical notes on Europe.' [11] 'Notes on England.' [12] 'On the Pope and his relations with England.' [13] 'A summary of English history (little more than a list of kings) to the time of Richard I'" - from handlist prepared by R. Dougherty, 1993. Elegant copy of a collection of historical miscellanies, mainly pertaining to southern India, composed by Ray Govinda Rama Rao (see inscription on opening leaf). Acquired via the Stephen Spaulding Memorial Fund ; "Fr. Edwards: 6-5-58/SS-4077/cat. 784:198" 6-5-58 ; £5 Persian. UM Library inscription in pencil on front flyleaf "Rare Book Room | Stephen Spaulding Mem. | Fr. Edwards: 6-5-58 | SS-4077 | cat. 784:198 £5" ; in pencil on lower pastedown "£5" ; fairly clean copy.