[IO Islamic 673] ذخیرة الاسکندر

<ul> <li><strong>Philosophy.</strong></li> <li><strong>This manuscript is now IO Islamic 673&nbsp;</strong><strong>in the India Office collections.</strong></li> <li><strong>[metadata:</strong><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Loth">&nbsp;<strong>Otto Loth,&nbsp;</strong></a><strong><em><a href="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3923636">A Catalogue of the Arabic Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office</a></em>, (volume 1), no. 473&nbsp;here with further notations and hyperlinks]</strong>.</li> </ul> <p>473.</p> <p>673. Size 8 in. by 4^1/2 in.; foll. 59. Fifteen lines in a page.</p> <p>A treatise on Elixirs and Talismans, called ذخیرة الاسکندر. Cf. Stewart&rsquo;s Catal. 121 sqq.</p> <p>Preceded by an introduction by MUḤAMMAD B. KH&Acirc;LID, the geometrician, giving an account of the alleged origin of the work, which is said to have been translated from the &ldquo;Greek and Roman languages&rdquo; (الیونانیة و الرومیة), by order of the Khalif al-Mu&rsquo;taṣim. The original work was discovered by the writer of this introduction in a Christian church at Amorium, after the capture of the that place. It consisted of 360 leaves, being entirely of gold, and was deposited in a chest of the same material, and declared to be &ldquo;the Treasure of Alexander&rdquo;ذخیرة الاسکندر الملک بن فَیْلَقُس (!) ذی القرنین. It had been buried there, after his death, by his disciple Antiochus (انطیوخوس ملک الیونان تلمیذ ملک الملوک الاسکندر ذی القرنین الیونانی).</p> <p>The original preface is by ARISTOTLE (اَرَسْطُوطالیس) and contains a dedication to Alexander. It begins (fol. 4<em>v</em>.): باسم الواحد الواجب الوجود. We are told in it that this is a work of HERMES (الملک هِرْمِس الکبیر), which was discovered by Bal&icirc;n&acirc;s (Apollonius, see the preceding no.), and made over by him to Aristotle.</p> <p>It consists of ten chapters:¹ I. (fol. 5<em>v</em>.) فی ذکر اصول و مقدّمات; II. (fol. 12<em>v</em>.) فی ذکر اصول الصنعة و تدبیر الاکسیرات; III. (fol. 23) فی الترکیبات السمّیّة; IV. (fol. 30) فی صنعة التریاق; V. (fol. 33) فی صنعة الحِرْز (!) الطلسمیّة النافعة للامراض العَسِرة البُرْءِ; VI. (fol. 36) فی ذکر خواتیم الکواکب السبعة; VII. (fol. 40<em>v</em>.) فی ذکر فنون شتّی من الطلسمات; VIII. (fol. 48) فی اتّحاد القلوب و تالیف النفوس; IX. (fol. 52<em>v</em>.) فی خواصّ تتعلق بالنبات المستحیلة; X. (fol. 54) فی..خواصّ الحیوان; and it concludes with an epilogue which was added by ALEXANDER.</p> <p>Well written with all the vowel-points. Illustrated with drawings. Dated 1^st Dh&ucirc;-alḳa&rsquo;dah. Scribe, Im&acirc;mward&icirc; (اماموردی). Another talisman has been added on the last page.</p> <p>[Tippu.]</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>¹The following headings differ occasionally from the list of contents given on fol. 5.</p> <ul> <li> <p>[<strong>ed note</strong>: The author was <a href="https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n85345052.html">ʻAlī ibn Muḥammad Hamadānī</a>, 1314-1385, known for bring Islām to Kashmir which he entered in 1380 CE, see Rieu, <a href="https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3333583"><em>Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts</em></a>, 2, <a href="https://archive.org/details/catalogueofpersi02brituoft/page/446/mode/2up?view=theater">Add. 7618</a> (dated 1588 CE).&nbsp;</p> <h1>&nbsp;</h1> <br><br></li> </ul>