The Farhang-e Rashidi and its manuscripts

The 17th century was the peak of the burgeoning of Persian lexicography in the Indian Sub-continent. The Farhang-e Rashidi, compiled by Abd al-Rashid Tatavi of the scholars and poets of Pakistan’s Sind, is apparently the first critical Persian dictionary written in 1064 H./ 1654 CE.
After the Preface (Dibacheh), the author, following the first and second letters of the words, have provided a dictionary in twenty-five chapters (bab), his main sources being the Farhang-e Jahangiri and the Farhang-e Sorouri. By summarizing the previous dictionaries and amending their misreadings and critically assessing their words and citations, Tatavi has set a novel model in dictionary writing. After presenting the words, the author states the metaphorical expressions (este’arat ) of each chapter, most of which are, of course, to come under irony or sarcasm (kenayat).
By benefiting from the oldest manuscript of Tatavi’s Farhang in Iran and collating it with three other manuscripts -not yet used in any other redaction-, the writers of the present review have attempted a study of this dictionary.