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Manuscript/Mixed Material [Kitāb-i tashrīḥ al-aqvām] [کتاب تشريح الاقوام] / Inscription title: History of the origin and distinguishing marks of the different Castes of India / History of the origin and distinguishing marks of the different Castes of India

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About this Item

Title

  • [Kitāb-i tashrīḥ al-aqvām]

Other Title

  • [کتاب تشريح الاقوام]
  • Inscription title: History of the origin and distinguishing marks of the different Castes of India
  • History of the origin and distinguishing marks of the different Castes of India

Summary

  • Son of a Scottish military adventurer and a woman of the Indian martial nobility, James Skinner (1778-1841) became a famous soldier with his private regiment Skinner Horse, which still continues in the Indian Army. He was a fluent writer in Persian, the prestige language of India in his day, and composed his "Kitab-i tasrih al-aqvam" (History of the Origin and Distinguishing Marks of the Different Castes of India), given by James S. Collins of Pennsylvania to the Rosenwald Collection. The castes presented here are Khattris, nobles who converted from Hinduism to Islam and who function as lawyers and judges. This particular Khattri seems comfortable and benevolent, and is blessed with a son or student fiercely attentive to his dictation. The style is of the Company School, paintings made by local artists combining Mogul traditions with a minute realism to record people and natural history for staff members of the British East India Company which was taking over India.

Names

  • Skinner, James, 1778-1841, compiler
  • Watkins, J., Captain, former owner
  • Collins, Philip S., former owner
  • Cole, Timothy, 1852-1931, bookplate designer, engraver
  • Skinner, James, 1778-1841, inscriber
  • Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection (Library of Congress)

Created / Published

  • 1825.

Headings

  • -  Skinner, James,--1778-1841--Manuscripts
  • -  Castes--India--Manuscripts
  • -  Illumination of books and manuscripts, Iranian--19th century
  • -  Manuscripts, Persian--Washington (D.C.)
  • -  India

Notes

  • -  Persian manuscript written in India in large nastaliq, illustrated wtih 120 miniatures, including portraits.
  • -  Description based on Rosenwald bibliography entry.
  • -  Eleven lines per leaf.
  • -  Library of Congress. Lessing J. Rosenwald collection, 2076
  • -  BM Catalogue of the Persian manuscripts, v. 1, 1879, p. 65-67.
  • -  Also available in digital form on the Library of Congress website.
  • -  LC copy has provenance: Lessing J. Rosenwald; Presentation leaf (sixth preliminary leaf), naming Capt. Watkins as the recipient, is inscribed: "History of the origin and distinguishing marks of the different Castes of India, compiled by Lt. Col. J, Skinner, CB, whose gift it is to the present possessor, JW." Also has bookplates of Philip S. Collins on both front and back paste-downs.
  • -  LAC knj 2019-09-26 no edits (1 card)
  • -  LAC ddw 2022-05-03 update (1 card)

Medium

  • [14], 292, [8] leaves : ill., ports. ; 32 cm.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Rosenwald ms. no. 34

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2014658650

Online Format

  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The contents of the Library of Congress Persian Language Manuscript Project are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions and are free to use and reuse.

Credit Line: Library of Congress, African and Middle East Division, Near East Section Persian Manuscript Collection

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Watkins, J., Captain, Former Owner, Philip S Collins, Timothy Cole, James Skinner, and Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection. Kitāb-I Tashrīḥ Al-Aqvām. composeds by Skinner, James, Iler 1825. Manuscript/Mixed Material. https://www.loc.gov/item/2014658650/.

APA citation style:

Watkins, J., Collins, P. S., Cole, T., Skinner, J. & Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection. (1825) Kitāb-I Tashrīḥ Al-Aqvām. Skinner, J., comp [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2014658650/.

MLA citation style:

Watkins, J., Captain, Former Owner, et al. Kitāb-I Tashrīḥ Al-Aqvām. comp by Skinner, James, Iler 1825. Manuscript/Mixed Material. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2014658650/>.