The Codicology of the Oldest Comprehensive Manuscript of Yatim Nameh and its other Manuscripts

The Safavid period had a significant impact on the direction of various literary fields, especially narratives. In this era, narratives in the literary genres of epic, lyric, and didactic found a relatively large variety and abundance. Yatim Nameh, as the last famous prose epic in Persian literature is considered an exception which, in addition to the common traditions in the field of storytelling, could adapt well to the dominant religious and historical discourse in the Safavid period. It has a little bit of the characteristics of fictional heritage and provides a reflection of the connection between the historical and religious themes of the Safavid era in the form of a fictional narrative. Due to the lack of scientific knowledge of authentic manuscripts, Yatim Nameh has been introduced for almost two centuries not only as a relatively incorrect title of Hossein Kurd Shabestari but also all its parts have not been identified and published. For the first time, the present study tries to inductively introduce the oldest unknown manuscript of the comprehensive narrations of Yatim Nameh and other unknown manuscripts and to correct some misconceptions in this field with further explanations.IntroductionYatim Nameh is a narrative mistakenly known as the story of Hossein Kurd Shabestari in Iran for many years. Yatim Nameh tells the story of heroes who all have a historical existence. This group served the Safavid dynasty and confronted the threat of Sunni enemies in the Ottoman Empire, the subcontinent, and the Afghan  Transoxiana Khanates. Each of the four parts of Yatim Nameh, after a period of chaos, night robberies, and solitary battles, ends with the victory of the Iranian heroes and the taking of ransom from the enemies.Materials and MethodsThe present study introduces the oldest manuscript of Yatim Nameh along with other unknown manuscripts of this epic. Among these, in addition to the date of antiquity, the newly found manuscript is also considered as the most comprehensive manuscript of Yatim Nameh, and based on its codicology details, it has provided a new definition of the real identity of Yatim Nameh’s text.Discussion of Results Manuscript of the St. Petersburg Library of Russia [Abbreviation: Y]The oldest unknown comprehensive manuscript of Yatim Nameh entitled “Yatim-Nameye Shah Abbas” by No. (44 MS. XAN) is kept in the Library of St. Petersburg, Russia, and as its title and attribution indicate, it was prepared by the order of the court of Shah Abbas, each written in the following order:The first part: [→ P 1b - 112b] 112 leaves (223 pp) contains the report of the story of Masih Dokmeband Tabrizi.The second part: [→ P 113b - 260b] 148 leaves (293 pp) contains the report of the story of Mir Baghire Ajorpaze Isfahani.The third part: [→ P 261b - 518a] 257 leaves (512 pp) contains the report of the story of Hossein Kurd Shabestari.Manuscript of the St. Petersburg Library of Russia [Abbreviation: H]The manuscript features the second part of Yatim Nameh entitled "Hossein-Nameh/Dastane Hosseine Kurd" is registered as No. (MS. D - 421) in the manuscript catalog of the Library of St. Petersburg, Russia. This copy has one volume, but includes a report of two independent and separate parts, as follows:The first part: [→ P 1b - 170b] 112 leaves (339 pp), date of writing: 1255 AH, includes a report on the story of Mir Baghir.The second part: [→ P 171A - 190A] 19 leaves (39 pp), date of writing: 1260 AH, includes the story of Mir Esmaeil son of Mir Baghir.Manuscript of the Astan Quds Razavi Library of Iran [Abbreviation: A]In the manuscript collection of the Library and Documentation Center of Astan Quds Razavi of Mashhad, the manuscript is registered as one volume. It has 262 leaves (524 pp), by the No. (38813) and the title of "Dastane Hossein Kurd Shabestari".Manuscript of the Islamic Parliamentary Library of Iran [Abbreviation: MJ]Forty-one years ago, Daneshpajooh introduced shortly the manuscript of Yatim Nameh entitled "Dastane Hossein Kurd" in the second volume of the catalog of manuscripts of the library of the Islamic Parliamentary Library, by No. (1257). The manuscript has one volume and has 222 leaves (444 pp).Manuscript of the Central Library of University of Tehran [Abbreviation: DA]The 16th volume of the manuscript of the Central Library of the University of Tehran introduced another version of Yatim Nameh under the title "Dastane Abdu Almo’minkhan", by No. (5651). The manuscript has one volume and has 131 leaves (262 pp).Manuscript of the National Library of Iran [Abbreviation: M1]In the collection of manuscripts of the National Library of Iran, the characteristics of one Persian manuscript are indexed with the dual titles "Dastane Hossein Kurd Shabestari" and "Dastane Shirzad" by No. (32945-5). The manuscript is made in one volume and has 230 leaves (460 pp).Manuscript of the National Library of Iran [Abbreviation: M2]In the online collection of manuscripts of the National Library of Iran, the characteristics of a manuscript in Persian are indexed under the title "Hikayate Shah Abbas" by No. (12660-5). The manuscript is made in one volume and has 120 leaves (240 pp).Manuscript of the National Library of Iran [Abbreviation: M3]Recently, a manuscript in the National Library of Iran is evaluated as an almost incorrect title “Tarikhe Safavid” by No. (24603-5). The content of this manuscript includes the report of two stories of: Eskandar-Nameh (later writing) [→ P 1b - 32A; G48A - 51B; G 64 A - 85 B] and Yatim Nameh [→ P 32 B - 47 B; G52A - 63b].Manuscript of the Matenadaran Library of Armenia [Abbreviation: MT]In the catalog of Persian manuscripts of the Matenadaran Library of Armenia, the characteristics of one manuscript are recorded in one volume, under the title of the “Hikayate Hossein Kurd”, by No. (MS 534) has 94 leaves (188 pp).ConclusionsThe codicology results of the present study indicate that Hossein Kurd Shabestari has no implication on the main textual identity of Yatim Nameh. According to the oldest comprehensive manuscript of this epic and its diffused parts, the correct title of this story is Yatim Nameh. It consists of four main parts that, for unknown reasons, only the final part has been published in Iran for many years by the title of “Hossein Kurd Shabestari”. The introduction of the oldest new manuscripts and other unknown manuscripts also indicates the possibility of another older and more complete version of Yatim Nameh.