Author
Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Aḥmad al-Ṭabarī
Publication Date
15th century (CE, Gregorian)
Type
Book
Language
Arabic
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
Yes
Pages Count
1
Library
Qatar Digital Library
Library Asset ID
Or 9265, ff 55r-96v
Record ID
vdc_100139892428.0x000002
Library Location
British Library: Oriental Manuscripts
Date
15th century (CE, Gregorian)
Notes
A copy of a practical treatise on archery, very popular and widely-used especially in the Mamluk period, by Abū Muḥammad ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Aḥmad al-Ṭabarī (Abu Muhammad Abd al-Rahman Ahmad al-Tabari, active ca 9th century). The preface names the work (f. 55v, line 10) and mentions its structure in thirty
bāb
s (see f. 55v, line 8).
Al-Ṭabarī synthesises the methodologies of the three foundational schools of Abū Ḥāshim al-Bāwardī (Abu Hashim al-Bāwardī, or al-Māwardī [Al-Mawardi], see f. 70v), Ṭāhir al-Balkhī (Tahir al-Balkhi, f. 73v), and Isḥāq al-Raffāʾ (Ishaq al-Raffa, f. 76r); consequently he was considered the founder of the 'eclectic' school (
madhhab al-ikhtiyar
, the doctrine of choice).
Contents:
The merits of archery and its mentions in the [Quranic] verses (Chapter on the virtue of archery and the verses mentioned therein, ff. 56r-59r);
On things to shoot at (Chapter: Whoever does something to shoot at, ff. 59r- 65v);
On putting the arrow on the string (Chapter Knowing the Arrow on the String, ff. 65v-68r);
Who first made the Arab and Persian bows (Chapter on the first to make the Arab and Persian bows, ff. 68r-68v);
The names of the Masters of archery (In the Names of the Imams of Archers, ff. 68v-69r);
On the different opinions about the number of principles of archery (Chapter on the number of principles of archery and their differences therein, ff. 69r-70v);
Description of the School of Abū Hāshim al-Bāwardī (Chapter containing a description of the doctrine of Abu Hāshim al-Bāwardī, ff. 70v-73r);
Description of the School of Ṭāhir al-Balkhī (Chapter describing the doctrine of Tahir al-Balkhī, ff. 73v-76r);
Description of the School of Abū Isḥāq [al-Raffāʼ] (Chapter Description of the School of Abu Ishaq, ff.76r-78v);
The different opinions [of the Masters] regarding aiming (Chapter on reliance and their differing wills therein, ff. 79r-81v);
The differing opinions on the capacity of the bow (Chapter on the size of the archer’s bow and their differences in it, ff. 81v-83r);
The correct and incorrect square grasp (Chapter on the validity and corruption of the square fist, ff. 83r-84r);
What happens to the forefinger upon stringing (Chapter What happens to the forefinger upon stringing, ff. 84r-85r);
What happens to the forefinger upon drawing (Chapter What happens to the forefinger upon drawing, f. 85r);
On the blow of the string against the forefinger (Chapter in which the string shines against the archer’s index finger, f. 85v-87r);
al-Ṭabarī's eclectic approach (Chapter on al-Tabari's choice for himself, ff. 87v-89r);
On the blow of the string to the end of the archer's thumb (Chapter in which the string blows to the end of the archer's thumb, ff. 89v);
On the blackening of the internal flesh of the archer's thumb (Chapter on the blackening of the internal flesh of the archer's thumb, ff. 89v-90v);
On the blackening of the archer's thumbnail (Chapter on the blackening of the archer's thumbnail, ff. 90v-91r);
On wounding the left thumb (ff. 91r-v);
On hitting the archer's beard with the bowstring (chap. 91v-92r);
On the blow of the bowstring on the archer's forearm, f. 92r-93r;
On the movement of the arrow after its release (Chapter on moving the arrow after it comes out of the bow, f. 93r-v);
On manufacturing the distance- and flight-shooting bows (Chapter on manufacturing the distance- and flight-shooting bows, f. 93v-95r);
Description of distance- and flight-shooting (Chapter on the description of distance-and-flight-shooting, ff. 95r-96r);
The median school of archery (Chapter on throwing Al-Wasiti, ff. 96r-96v).
Begins (f. 55r, lines 11-13):
Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds, and there is no God but God in submission
For his greatness, may God’s blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad and his family
We have mentioned what we are familiar with when shooting crossbows
Ends (f. 96v, lines 11-13):
...And they lower their right hands on the tops of their shoulders
The right hand and they live between the two iddah to
Ten counts and put their right hands out straight
Erişim Koşulları
Unrestricted
Seçilmiş kaynakça
Study:
Al-Sarraf, Shihab, 'Mamluk Furūsīyah Literature and Its Antecedents',
Mamluk Studies Review
, 8 (Chicago: Middle East Documentation Center, The University of Chicago, 2004), pp. 141-200 (see pp. 163-65).
