[Süleymanname] - [سليماننامه]

This material is held atBritish Library Asia, Pacific and Africa Collections

  • Reference
    • GB 59 Or 16121
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1067
  • Language of Material
    • Turkish
  • Physical Description
    • 1 text 122 ff Materials : European off-white laid paper. Foliation : European, 122 ff. Dimensions : 192 mm x 136 mm. Ruling : Red text dividers. Script : Nesih. Ink : Primarily black with occasional use of red for headers. Binding : Modern boards with marbled cloth.

Scope and Content

A lengthy folk narrative, in prose with interspersed passages in verse, by Firdevsi-i Rumi (857-ca. 918/1453-ca. 1512 CE). The contents of this Süleyman-name include stories of the prophet Solomon and of other pre-Islamic Prophets, along with elements of the epic history of pre-Islamic Iran (as found in the Persian Shahname and miscellaneous lore relating to philosophy, cosmology, astronomy, and natural history. The section included in the present manuscript begins with Nermen, son of Isfendiyar, learning the ways of kingship from Rüstem, and appears to belong near to the beginning of the work. The story of Behmen, another son of Isfendiyar, begins on f 83r. The volume ends with a description of the peacetime life of pleasure led by Feramrz and Sam. Later additions and corrections to the text, likely made by the copyist, can be found in the margins. The manuscript was completed on 23 Zulhicce 1067 AH (2 October 1658 CE) by Mustafa İbn-i Mehmet el-Yesari.

Access Information

Not Public Record(s)

Unrestricted

Acquisition Information

Acquired from the collection of C. S. Mundy.

Related Material

Other copies of extracts of the complete underlying text can be found at Or 16036 and Or 16147. On the author and his works, see Orhan F. Köprülü, 'Firdevsi, Uzun', TDVİA XIII, pp. 127-9; M. F. Köprülü, 'Firdevs. Firdavs-i Rum yahud Firdavs-i Tavül', IA IV, p. 649. Authorities differ as to how many parts (cüz') the full text comprises, the number varying between 330 and 380. The total number found in extant manuscripts, however, is 81 (O. Köprülü, op. cit.). Barbara Flemming, in VOHD XIII/1, pp. 38-41, describes one manuscript containing Books I-V and part of Book VI of the full-length version, entitled Süleymān-nāmẹ-'i kebir (Tübinger Depot der Staatsbibliothek, MS. Or. fol. 4154), and another, containing part of the abridged version, referred to as Süleymān-nāmẹ [muhtasar] (Tbinger Depot, Or. quart. 1945). While no critical edition of the work has yet been attempted, the linguistic features of Firdevsi's writings have attracted scholarly attention.