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Book/Printed Material Tuḥfat al-mulūk / / تحفة الملوک /

About this Item

Title

  • Tuḥfat al-mulūk

Other Title

  • /
  • تحفة الملوک /

Summary

  • On improving religious, political and social ways of life; written on the order of Amir of Afghanistan ʻAbduraḥmān K̲h̲ān̲, d. 1901.
  • Tuḥfat al-mulūk (An offering for kings) is a collection of dicta that was written by order of ʻAbd al-Rahman Khan (also seen as Abdur Rahman Khan), who ruled Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901. The work consists of an introduction and 40 miniature "chapters," with each chapter containing a moral precept on improving religious, political, and social life. Chapter One states: "Four things lead to the preservation of the kingdom: the protecting of religion and concern for its well-being, a trustworthy vizier, the safe-guarding of resolve, [and] the safe-guarding of confidence." Subsequent chapters use the same four-part structure: Chapter Three proclaims: "Four [classes of] things require four others: Rulers [require] righteous viziers; warriors, weapons; horses, the whip; [and] the blade, the scabbard." The fortieth and final chapter states: "Four things are the source of bliss in this world and the hereafter: obeying God and [his] Messenger, serving one's parents, deference for learned men of religion, [and] charity to God's creatures." In its subject matter, Tuḥfat al-mulūk recalls the "mirror for princes" genre of Islamic literature and so takes as its theme the problems of kingship, government, and justice. The publication of this short and entirely conventional work was likely more a ceremonial matter recognizing the prestige associated with traditional learning and sagacity, rather than a matter of practical advice for the ruler and his subjects. The book was published in the Dar al-Saltanah press in Kabul on the 27th of Ramadan, 1312 AH (March 24, 1895). The author, Gul Muhammad Khan Muhammadza'i Durrani, is known for other literary publications in Persian that appeared in the same period. World Digital Library.

Names

  • Muḥammadzāʼī, Gul Muḥammad

Created / Published

  • Kābul : Maṭbaʻ-i Dār al-Salṭanah-i Kābul, 1312 [1894]

Headings

  • -  Education of princes
  • -  Islamic ethics
  • -  Muslims--Conduct of life
  • -  Afghanistan--Kings and rulers--Education
  • -  Afghanistan

Notes

  • -  "Ḥasb al-farmān-i ashraf vālā Amīr ʻAbd al-Raḥmān Khān Ghāzī"--T.p.
  • -  Lithograph.
  • -  Also available in digital form.
  • -  08/01/02 T;05/05/02 T
  • -  Acquire for LC only.

Medium

  • 44 pages ; 13 cm

Call Number/Physical Location

  • JC393 .M84 1894

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2002362438

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:

MuḥammadzāʼĪ, Gul Muḥammad. Tuḥfat Al-Mulūk. [Kābul: Maṭbaʻ-i Dār al-Salṭanah-i Kābul, 1894, 1894] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002362438/.

APA citation style:

Muḥammadzāʼī, G. M. (1894) Tuḥfat Al-Mulūk. [Kābul: Maṭbaʻ-i Dār al-Salṭanah-i Kābul, 1894] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2002362438/.

MLA citation style:

MuḥammadzāʼĪ, Gul Muḥammad. Tuḥfat Al-Mulūk. [Kābul: Maṭbaʻ-i Dār al-Salṭanah-i Kābul, 1894, 1894] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2002362438/>.