Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 2011 IIUM/UiTM/USIMmyrepositori.pnm.gov.my/.../3063/1/09PrinciplesOfManuscriptology.pdf · 3 An introduction to manuscriptology. Formerly, the word “copy”

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Principles of Manuscriptology

Dr. Habibollah Azimi1

The Knowledge of Islamic and Iranian Scholars

Email: [email protected]

Abstract: Manuscripts are known as materials for research used to study the history of civilization,

science, art and industry among nations. The production of books in the form of manuscripts written

by scientists of each country and the thematic content of handwritten books, imply both the

scientific-cultural background of countries and the history of different sciences among each ethnicity

and nation. With respect to the appearance and development of handmade papers which were

produced in workshops and also making wooden, paper and leather bindings by manuscript

producers, the history of these industries and arts among owners of industry and profession, can be

evaluated through manuscripts. Furthermore, with the emergence of calligraphy, ornamentation,

decoration and using these arts in manuscripts, precious art books have been produced and studying

each of them can prepare the ground for research in the history of art and its position in the

civilization of nations. Now, regarding the role of Iranians and other Muslims peoples in producing

and developing science from the second century of Hijra (8th century AD) with the production of

paper in Samarqand and Bukhara and its spread in other lands and regarding the emergence of great

scientists in Islamic countries and writing numerous scientific works in Persian and Arabic

especially from the fourth century on and concerning the appearance of calligraphy and creation of

special decorations and ornamentations for the Holy Quran and Diwans of great poets and religious

books among Iranians and Moslems from the fifth century on, it can be said that Iranians have had a

special position among Moslems in the production and illumination of manuscripts. In this research

The different aspect of manuscriptology investigated in two parts: Codicology and Bibliography.

Then the codicology Issues such as The Kinds of Script, Illumination and Paper in manuscripts are

presented. This also stresses the significance of educating manuscript experts and composing

required resources.

Keywords: Codicology, Bibliography, script , Illumination ,Paper of manuscripts.

1 .Expert in Islamic manuscripts and Deputy of national library of(I.R) Iran.

Email: Azimi@ nlai. Ir

Habibazimi@ Yahoo.com

Tel:+982188644080

Fax:+982188644081



mailto:[email protected]

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An introduction to manuscriptology

Formerly, the word “copy” implied a transcription of a book or writing. A manuscript can be defined

as: papers on which some information are written by hand, pen and ink and those papers are joined to

each other from one side and are between the two covers from the spine. The manuscript may be

written by the author or one of their students or it may be written by a scribe or a scholar after the

death of the author. Manuscripts have commonly been produced prior to the appearance of the

printing industry In Iran and Islamic countries.

Topics relating to manuscripts can be investigated in four parts:

a) Codicology

b) Bibliography

c) Cataloguing

d) Preservation, conservation and restoration

In order to know more about the above parts, first the definition of codicology and bibliography are

presented and then the necessity of recognizing and introducing manuscripts through catalogues in

two parts of bibliography and codicology, which are the basis of cataloguing manuscripts, is stated.

The tow main parts of manuscriptology

i- Codicology

In its broadest sense, manuscriptology is a skill and knowledge by which manuscripts are introduced

and described from different aspects. A manuscriptologist is one who is an expert in describing

manuscripts and who can recognize the content of manuscripts and other features like the type of

script, kind of the paper, history of transcription, ornamentations and other material and physical

characteristics of manuscripts. The general usage of the word "manuscriptology" is related to this

definition.

As cataloguers put, codicology deals with the appearance and physical features of a manuscript and is

an experimental and practical activity. In fact it is the variable information of numerous copies of a

specific manuscript; information covering issues such as the type of binding and paper, kind of script,

history and place of writing, scribe, number of papers, margins, collation, edition and back page notes.

With this definition, each copy of a manuscript has its own codicological features and no two

manuscripts are found whose codicological information are exactly the same. The policy of collecting

numerous copies of a special manuscript title by great libraries is exactly based on this definition

because the differences in the codicological features of each manuscript with another, makes it

meaningful for researchers to conduct research in this field.

ii- Bibliography

Bibliography in its broadest sense is the knowledge of recognizing the content of a book and a

bibliographer is one who has good knowledge about the content, subject and chapters of a manuscript

in addition to its title and author. The bibliographer also knows the role of the manuscript in the

history of the science and the position of the author among the scientists of that subject. Cataloguers

of manuscripts believe that bibliography is the first principle for introducing each manuscript,

includes content and topical aspects of a manuscript, is an academic activity and the information it

deals with are fixed, distinctive and unalterable in a specific title of a manuscript; such information

include the title, author or authors, topic, language, table of contents and the incipit and explicit of a

manuscript. According to this definition, numerous copies of a specific manuscript title have the

same bibliographic information that, of course, cataloguers of manuscripts obtain through study and

survey in the content of manuscripts and searching in bibliographic and biographic resources.

Considering that a large number of manuscripts lack an incipit and explicit, finding the author’s

name and title of the manuscript is a very difficult task. Therefore the manuscript cataloguer can only

access this kind of bibliographic information through a more thorough study of the manuscript itself

and a survey and comparison of it with other similar manuscripts and finally by searching in other

resources.



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Codicology issues

Those variable information about different copies of a specific manuscript title which exist in a library

or different libraries all over Iran or around the world, are discussed under codicology topics. To a

large extent, this kind of information has experimental and practical value and in fact includes

description and explanation of the appearance of manuscripts which commonly are different from

each other due to many reasons.

1. The range of codicology information

A review of the different ways manuscripts have been described in manuscript catalogues reveals

that manuscripts cataloguers have usually determined all the physical features of manuscripts in

the codicology section of catalogues. On the one hand these physical features are useful for the

complete introduction of the manuscript and on the other hand they can be a separate research

topic for researchers and scholars.

Therefore, complete codicology information includes physical information of a particular

manuscript with a specific property number available at a library. Information such as: scribe,

date and place of transcription, type of the script, paper, number and size of papers,

ornamentations, illumination, illustration, type and material of the binding, margins, collation

and edition, notes of beginning and finishing pages, name of the donator, date of endowment,

ownerships, property and access numbers of the manuscript in libraries. In the following, the

important and common codicology items are briefly introduced.

2. Anjameh1, scribe, date and place of transcription

The final statement of a manuscript written by the scribe after its main text is called Anjameh or

Tarqimeh. Based on transcription customs, scribes used to transcribe the exact content of

manuscripts from beginning to end, paying respect to intellectual property. After finishing the

main text of the manuscript, they considered the last statement a special place for themselves to

note phrases such as “the book was finished” or “finished” to declare the finishing of the

transcription. Then using expressions such as "the transcription was finished in the year ….."

they mentioned information like the time and place of transcription, and the name of the scribe in

the finishing expression of the manuscript or the Anjameh. In fact Anjamehs are considered as a

part of the identity and introduction of manuscripts and what today a publisher, author or

compiler explains in the preface and introduction of printed books, scribes explained in the

Anjamehs of manuscripts. Therefore Anjamehs are the first places to find basic information

about manuscripts; information such as the title, author name, scribe, and the time and place of

transcription.

Scribes usually wrote Anjamehs in a triangle, rectangular or trapezoid and with a script different

from the one used for the main manuscript text. This helped the readers to immediately

distinguish the scribe’s Anjameh from the finishing expressions of the main text of the

manuscript (image No: 1).

3. Script

One of the most important features of codicology noticed by bibliographers from old times is the

type of scripts used in hand-writings and manuscripts. Although there are a lot of books about the

history and types of scripts in the emergence of Islam and pre-Islam, in this writing the main

scripts used in manuscripts and other works in Islamic nations are intended. According to the

recorded history of scripts and calligraphy in Islamic civilization, the types of scripts are:

1 Similar to “colophon”



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Kufic, Naskh, Thuluth, Muhaqqaq, Rayhan, Ruq’ah, Tawqi, Ta'liq, Shekasteh Ta'liq, Nasta'liq,

Shekasteh Nasta'liq and Siaq. Some of these scripts which are more common in writing

manuscripts will be briefly described in the following:

3.1 Kufic: the commencement of transcription in the Islamic world was at the time of the

emergence of Islam. From the beginning of Islam and during its first three centuries “Kufic”

was the common calligraphic form in Islamic nations. This script was used for transcribing

copies of the Qur'an, inscriptions and other Arabic writings (Image No.2). The early Kufic

script had no diacritics and was called old Kufic, but in a course of time the verses of Quran

were written using black ink and the consonant pointing and vowel marks were written using

different herbal and non-herbal colors such as vermillion, saffron and verdigris and then the

“evolved Kufic” script emerged.

3.2 Naskh: Undoubtedly, the most commonly used script for transcription among the six basic

Islamic scripts (Thuluth, Muhaqqaq, Rayhan, Naskh, Tawqi and Ruq’ah) which gradually

came to the centre of attention from the fourth Hijri century is the Naskh script (Image

No.3). Naskh means "to abolish, to abrogate". This script became very popular among

authors and scribes and in fact it abolished and abrogated previous scripts; that’s why it is

known as “Naskh” script. Some historians believe that Naskh is derived from the Kufic

script and invented by Muhammad ebn-e Ali ebn-e Hussein ebn-e Muqlah Bayzavi Shirazi

(murdered on 940 A.D).

In transcription periods there were two methods for transcription of Naskh script and most

cataloguers have referred to the kind of script in addition to its method.

A. The old method was common until the early second half of the 8th century of Hijra (14

th

century AD). In this period Naskh script was not that much beautiful and in some cases

words and letters were written with supplementary diacritics.

B. The second method is the new Naskh script which has been used since the second half of the

8th century of Hijra (14

th century AD). In this style, the letters are more curved and the script

is indeed more beautiful and coherent than the old one and scribes have paid more attention

to its aesthetic characteristics.

3.3 Nasta'liq: from the first half of the 8th century of Hijrah (14

th century AD), Nasta'liq script –

a combination of Naskh and Ta'liq scripts – was used for transcribing cultural manuscripts in

Iran. This script was later not only used for writing Persian books, but also Arabic books like

"Nahj Al-Balaghah", "Sahife Sajjadiyah" and other books were written using the beautiful

Nasta'liq script (Image No.4).

In the study of manuscripts written using Nasta'liq script, just like Naskh, cataloguers refer

to the old period (from the first years of the 8th century of Hijrah (14

th century AD) to the

end of the same century, when this script was incomplete, bad-looking, without correct

proportions) and the new period (after the introduction of Nasta'liq script by Mir Ali Tabrizi

in the late 8th century of Hijrah).

The Nasta'liq script became common among Ottoman and Indian scribes from the early 9th

century of Hijrah. At first, Iranian scribes who were living in the mentioned regions used to

transcribe in the style of Iranian Nasta'liq but in the course of time and after the Iranian

emigrants passed away, local scribes invented a special style inspired by the Iranian

Nasta'liq which was a little different. Therefore cataloguers refer to the style of the script

along with the geographical location of its transcription in order to introduce manuscripts

written in Nasta'liq script outside of Iran.



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3.4 Shekasteh1: In the first half of the 11

th century of Hijrah (17

th century AD), Shekastah

Nasta'liq replaced Shekastah Taliq for writing literary works and other writings (Image

No.5). Later on, famous calligraphers such as Muhammad Shafi' Hosseini known as Shafi'a

and Morteza Qolikhan Shamlou established rules for Nasta'liq and Mirza Hassan Kermani

and Abdolmajid Darvish made it more splendorous and beautiful. In order to explain the

quality and degree of Shikastah Nasta'liq script, Cataloguers have used methods almost same

to those employed for describing Naskh and Nasta'liq scripts

4. Illumination

Artists who illuminated books and manuscripts used different types of decorations in

artistic manuscripts. The most common of these decorations are:

4.1 Shamseh: A circular-shaped or polygonal-shaped decorative design surrounded by lines

which resemble the sun’s rays. Sometimes the title of the manuscript and the name of author

or the owner of the book or the governor or court who had ordered it was written in the

center of the Shamseh in Riqa script and by colorful, gold or white inks (Image No.6).

4.2 Sarloheh (Sarloh)2: a geometric shape similar to a Mehrab

3 or an Eyvan

4 which is decorated

with regular geometric lines or flower and leaf decorations in different shapes and is drawn

with gilt or in other various colors. Some Sarlohehs are in the shape of a Sartorang which is

stretched from both sides and two Sartorangs are located on each side (Image No.7).

4.3 Katibeh: An illuminated and jeweled rectangular which is usually under the Sarloheh and

attached to it. Inside the Katibeh, the Quranic verse “In the Name of God, the Merciful, the

Compassionate”5 or the title of the manuscript is written in gold or white (Image No.7).

4.4 Toranj and Sartoranj: An illuminated and sometimes jeweled design which is normally

diamond-shaped or oval-shaped and consists of four Lachakis arranged symmetrically and

sometimes a semi-Toranj which is turned back from the other side. This design was mostly

placed in the center of the page and its inner part was filled with flower and leaf drawings,

Tazhib illuminations or illustrations of animals or human beings (Image No.8).

4.5 Jadval: Straight and geometric line or lines which surround the text of a page of a

manuscript from four sides (Image No.9).

4.6 Kamand: Most of the manuscripts which include Jadvals have other straight lines that, with

certain spacing from the Jadvals and near to the edges of the page, surround the Jadval from

three sides (except for the side near to the spine of the manuscript). Jadvals surround the text

of a single manuscript page while Kamands surround the text and margins of two opposite

pages of a manuscript (Image No.9).

4.7 Eslimi6: it's a design comprised of beautiful revolving curves complemented with

appropriate turns, twists, knots and branches which is of special beauty and glory (Image

No.10). This artistic motif was named so from the Seljuqid and Teimurid eras and it was

1 Cursive

2 Frontispiece

3 Prayer niche in the qiblah wall (that facing Mecca) of a mosque; mihrabs vary in size but are usually ornately

decorated. [Britannica Online Encyclopedia]

4 A vaulted hall or space, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open; [Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]

5 bismi-llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm

6 Also known as arabesque



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called Eslimi (Eslami1) because the design was used for ornamentation of the Qur'an in the

Islamic era.

4.8 Gilding between the lines: the spaces between lines of the first two pages or all pages of

some manuscripts are gilded. All existing gaps between the lines get covered with gold layer

and sometimes the edge of the gilded page is surrounded with black Tahrir lines (Image

No.11)

4.9 Tazhib, Tarsi'

Tazhib2: regular geometric patterns along with abstract plant motifs such as Eslimi, Khataei,

Gereft-O-Gir (animal world illustrations), Gol-O-Morgh (flower and bird illustrations)

which have been decorated with black Tahrir lines and gold plating on azure background

or on the paper background (without any colors) (Image No.12).

Tarsi': If instead of using gold plating to create a golden background, other coloring material

such as lapis, cinnabar, saffron, white lead, verdigris, gilt, etc. are used. (Image No.13)

1 Islamic

2 Sometimes referred to as gilding



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Selected Resources:

1. Adcock, Edward. P, (1998). IFLA Principles for the care and handling of library materials.

Volume 1 of International preservation issues. International Federation of Library Associations

and Institutions, Core Programme on Preservation and Conservation.

2. “Dos and don’ts”, The round table of teaching manuscripts (2003), Ketab-e Mah-e Kollyat,

September & October 2003, pp98-114.

3. Azimi, Habibollah. (2007) .Encyclopedia of library and information science. Under the

entries: manuscripts, cataloguing of manuscripts.

4. Azimi, Habibollah. (2002). اعاده اانظرافا اها هفااماانطات اادراان في اما اهاا افا) = New attitude to

Arabic manuscripts' cataloguing in Iran. Mohazerat Motamar al-makhtoutat al-arabiyah fi Iran.

Pp157-173. al-mostashar al-thaghafiyah lel-jomhuriyah al-islamiyah al-Iraniyah be Damascus.

5. Azimi, Habibollah. (2008). Paper in Codicology and bookbinding of the manuscripts. A'yine

mirath, fall (No, 42), special issue on manuscriptology. Pp161-185.

6. Azimi, Habibollah. (2008) New attitude to manuscripts' cataloguing. A'yine mirath, fall (No,

42), special issue on manuscriptology. Pp129-139.

7. Fo'ad, Sayyed Iman (1997) . انكتاادااان فيااهاانطاتاا ااااعخااطاانطات ااادر ) The book of Arabic

manuscripts and the science of manuscriptology. Dar al-mesriyah Al-lobnaniyah.

8. Mayel Heravi, Najib (2001). History of Islamic codicology. Library, museum and archives of

parliament of Islamic republic of Iran. Tehran.

9. Mayel Heravi, Najib (1990). The research techniques in manuscripts. Mashad: Astan Quds

Razavi, Islamic research foundation.

10. Niknam, Mehrdad (2002). Evaluation of preservation and maintenance of library materials in

Iran's libraries. Faslname-ye Ketab, winter, pp30-53.

11. Vafadar Moradi, Mohammad. Introduction to principles and rules of cataloguing of

manuscripts. Library, museum and archives of parliament of Islamic republic of Iran. Tehran:

2000.

12. Hadi Nahr (2005). تحق ااااانطات ااادرااانظواا ااااه(ااااتهد) Evaluation and research about

manuscripts. Jordan: Dar-al Amal.

13. Ministry of Culture and Higher Education. Educational regulation of M.A. courses, approved

in 291st session of the Supreme Council for Planning dated on 1994.



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Hak Cipta Terpelihara © 2011 IIUM/UiTM/USIMmyrepositori.pnm.gov.my/.../3063/1/09PrinciplesOfManuscriptology.pdf · 3 An introduction to manuscriptology. Formerly, the word “copy”