A unique source related to Eastern literary heritage preserved in the United States

A rare manuscript of Eastern literary heritage, which once served as a scientific foundation for historians of its time and offers an in-depth analysis of the history of regions such as Iran and Turan, the Arab Caliphate, and the dynasties of the Samanids, Seljuks, and Ghaznavids, is currently preserved at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in the United States. The Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan is presently working to bring this valuable source back to the homeland.

This rare source is a manuscript of the work Majma’ al-Tawarikh written by the renowned historian Hafiz-i Abru (1360–1431). One rare copy of this work is housed in the Nasli M. Heeramaneck Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This particular manuscript was created in Herat in 1425 and reflects the scholarly and artistic standards of its time.

The work, which is considered an essential source for studying Islamic history and the historical events of Central Asia, was completed around 1414. Majma’ al-Tawarikh is recognized as a vivid example of the intellectual and spiritual life of the Timurid era.

Hafiz-i Abru’s work consists of four parts, with content closely tied to the history of the Islamic world and regional states. The work provides in-depth analysis of the histories of regions such as Iran and Turan, the Arab Caliphate, and the dynasties of the Samanids, Seljuks, and Ghaznavids. In particular, its special focus on key events during the reign of Amir Temur and the Timurid dynasty further enhances the significance of the work.

Majma’ al-Tawarikh served not only as a scholarly foundation in its own time but also for later historians. Notably, famous historical sources such as Abdurazzaq Samarqandi’s Matla’ al-Sa’dayn and Mirkhwand’s Rawzat al-Safa’ were inspired by Hafiz-i Abru’s work.

A page of this manuscript is expected to become part of the exhibition at the Center of Islamic Civilization in Uzbekistan through an auction held in London.

Hafiz-i Abru – A Renowned Historian and Geographer of the Timurid Era

Hafiz-i Abru, whose full name was Shihab al-Din Abdullah ibn Lutfullah ibn Abdurashid al-Havofi, was a prominent historian and geographer born in Herat in 1361/62 and passed away in Zanjan in 1430. He served as a court historian in the courts of Amir Timur and his son Shahrukh.

Among Hafiz-i Abru’s notable works are historical and historical-geographical texts such as Zayl-i Zafarnama-yi Shami, Zayl-i Jami‘ al-Tawarikh, Tarikh-i Hafiz-i Abru, Majmu‘a al-Tawarikh al-Sultaniyya, and Zubdat al-Tawarikh-i Baysunquri.

The Zayl-i Zafarnama-yi Shami was written as a continuation of Nizami al-Shami’s Zafarnama and includes historical events up to the year 1405. The Zayl-i Jami‘ al-Tawarikh is a continuation of Rashid al-Din Fazlullah’s famous Jami‘ al-Tawarikh, covering the history of Iran from 1304 to 1370.

Hafiz-i Abru’s Masterpiece

The historical-geographical work titled Tarikh-i Hafiz-i Abru stands out for its circular map of the world. The map is marked with a degree grid, and geographers regard this work as Hafiz-i Abru’s magnum opus. The book provides descriptions of the Earth’s bodies of water, mountains, countries and their cities and villages, along with detailed geographical and historical information about Fars, Kerman, Khorasan, and the geographical features of Transoxiana. Cities such as Samarkand, Bukhara, Kesh, Nakhshab, and Termez, as well as rivers like the Jayhun, Sayhun, Murghab, and others, are described with their respective latitudes and longitudes. It also includes units for measuring distances and areas, such as the farsakh, monthly journey, and daily journey.

The Majmu‘a (“Collection”), written between 1423 and 1427, concludes the history of Shahrukh’s reign with events from the year 1417. Its fourth volume, Zubdat al-Tawarikh-i Baysunquri, also records events up to 1417. Hafiz-i Abru’s works include socio-economic data, excerpts from other now-lost works, and contemporary reports from the author’s own era.

Additionally, Hafiz-i Abru’s manuscript works are preserved in major libraries in Saint Petersburg, Oxford, and Tashkent.

Durdona RASULOVA

P/S: The article can be used with a link to the official website of the Center.