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Genealogical tables (silsilanāma) and Cream of Histories (Zübdet-üt Tevarih), from Ottoman Baghdad

Title	Genealogical tables (silsilanāma) and Cream of Histories (Zübdet-üt Tevarih), from Ottoman Baghdad
Author	Baghdad
Publication Date:	1598 (1006H)
Type	Document
Language	ara,tur
Digital	Yes
Manuscript	Yes
Physical Dimensions	264 mm x 167 mm x 11 mm (height x width x depth)
Library:	Chester Beatty
Record ID	T 423
Library Location	Turkish collection
Date	1598 (1006H)
Notes	Genealogical tables (silsilanāma) and Cream of Histories (Zübdet-üt Tevarih), from Ottoman Baghdad. Produced in Baghdad in 1598, this book provides a visual synopsis of universal history, and presents the Ottoman sultanate as its culmination. The first section is organised in diagrammatic tables to show the genealogy of the Prophet Muhammad, listing his family, household, companions and successors, up to the Umayyad caliph `Umar ibn `Abd al-Aziz (d. 720). The second part is laid out as a genealogical tree with portrait medallions: ten of these folios are now mounted separately (CBL T 423.18 to 423.24, 423.26 to 423.28). This tree follows the sequence of Islam's prophets (starting with Adam, up to the Prophet Muhammad), as well as kings and rulers, from ancient pre-Islamic Iran, then selectively through Islamic history up to the Ottoman dynasty. Two other known copies are dated to the same year (1006H), and also made in Baghdad: the political issue of righteous Ottoman power was of importance to the city, governed by the Sunni Ottoman empire, with a Shi`i majority population, and located between the Ottoman and (Twelver Shi`i) Safavid empires. Codex, ink, colours and gold on paper, 17 folios, Arabic (fols. 1-14r) and Turkish (fols. 14v-17) text in black, red and green naskh script, with illuminated headings (chaharlawh, fols. 1v-2r, sarlawh, fol. 14v), diagrammatic tables (fols. 2v-14r) and ruler portraits, (1: fols. 1-14r) Arabic introduction with genealogical tables (silsilanāma) starting with the Prophet Muḥammad, attributed to Yūsuf ibn `Abd al-Ḥādī, and (2: fols. 14v-17) Cream of Histories (Zubdat al-tavārīkh, Zübdet-üt Tevarih, of which 11 more folios are now mounted separately, also at Chester Beatty: CBL T 423.18 to 423.28), dedicated to Ottoman Sultan Meḥmed III (r. 1595-1603), copied by Abū Ṭālib Iṣfahānī (signs and dates end of first section, fol. 14r), Baghdad, Iraq, dated Shawwal 1006H, May 1598.
Materyal	Paper (material), Pigment (material), Ink (material), Gold, Leather (material)
Nesne Adı	Codex
Yazı Tipi	Naskh script

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Genealogical tables (silsilanāma) and Cream of Histories (Zübdet-üt Tevarih), from Ottoman Baghdad

Author Baghdad

Publication Date 1598 (1006H)

Type Document

Language ara,tur

Digital Yes

Manuscript Yes

Physical Dimensions 264 mm x 167 mm x 11 mm (height x width x depth)

Library Chester Beatty

Record ID T 423

Library Location Turkish collection

Date 1598 (1006H)

Notes Genealogical tables (silsilanāma) and Cream of Histories (Zübdet-üt Tevarih), from Ottoman Baghdad. Produced in Baghdad in 1598, this book provides a visual synopsis of universal history, and presents the Ottoman sultanate as its culmination. The first section is organised in diagrammatic tables to show the genealogy of the Prophet Muhammad, listing his family, household, companions and successors, up to the Umayyad caliph `Umar ibn `Abd al-Aziz (d. 720). The second part is laid out as a genealogical tree with portrait medallions: ten of these folios are now mounted separately (CBL T 423.18 to 423.24, 423.26 to 423.28). This tree follows the sequence of Islam's prophets (starting with Adam, up to the Prophet Muhammad), as well as kings and rulers, from ancient pre-Islamic Iran, then selectively through Islamic history up to the Ottoman dynasty. Two other known copies are dated to the same year (1006H), and also made in Baghdad: the political issue of righteous Ottoman power was of importance to the city, governed by the Sunni Ottoman empire, with a Shi`i majority population, and located between the Ottoman and (Twelver Shi`i) Safavid empires. Codex, ink, colours and gold on paper, 17 folios, Arabic (fols. 1-14r) and Turkish (fols. 14v-17) text in black, red and green naskh script, with illuminated headings (chaharlawh, fols. 1v-2r, sarlawh, fol. 14v), diagrammatic tables (fols. 2v-14r) and ruler portraits, (1: fols. 1-14r) Arabic introduction with genealogical tables (silsilanāma) starting with the Prophet Muḥammad, attributed to Yūsuf ibn `Abd al-Ḥādī, and (2: fols. 14v-17) Cream of Histories (Zubdat al-tavārīkh, Zübdet-üt Tevarih, of which 11 more folios are now mounted separately, also at Chester Beatty: CBL T 423.18 to 423.28), dedicated to Ottoman Sultan Meḥmed III (r. 1595-1603), copied by Abū Ṭālib Iṣfahānī (signs and dates end of first section, fol. 14r), Baghdad, Iraq, dated Shawwal 1006H, May 1598.

Materyal Paper (material), Pigment (material), Ink (material), Gold, Leather (material)

Nesne Adı Codex

Yazı Tipi Naskh script