It gives me great pleasure that the Department of Andhra Pradesh Government Oriental Manuscripts Library and Research Institute is able to bring out a series of Urdu. Persian and Arabic works also together with Telugu, Sanskrit, Hindi and English works in the crash programme of Manuscript publications.
In 1986 we were able to publish one Urdu work entitled "Mus- talhat-1-Thaggi" which was acclaimed to be a unique compilation in the world of lexicography as it contained exclusively the code words and terminology used by the way-plunderers like Thugs of the eighteenth century. The text compiled by Mr. Ali Akber, the Jail Superintendent of Jabalpur has been edited by Mr. Mir Karamat Ali, Research Assistant of this department.
Of the 23 thousand odd manuscripts of this library about 17 thousand belong to the Persian, Arabic and Urdu languages. The Persian works are the largest in number (8915) while the Arabic works come next (6337) in this library. This is one of the reasons for its becoming a research centre of repute in the world map of libraries concerning the Islamic culture.
Taking into consideration the importance of publication of a good number of these manuscripts, the department of Andhra Pradesh. Government Oriental Manuscripts Library and Research Institute took a decision to get them edited by scholars of repute. During the Sixth Five Year Plan the department got the following manuscripts edited and got ready for printing at the earliest.
The eighteenth Century had been a period of eventful history in the Deccan. After the death of Asaf Jah-1 on 4th Jamada II, 1161 AH/21 April, 1748 AD, the tenure of Nawab Nasir Jung and Nawab Salabat Jung was very short. Later, Nawab Nizam Ali Khan Asaf Jahil who ascended the throne in 1763 AD continued to rule for over forty years during the most eventful period in the history of India. The Tipu Sultan of Mysore was his contemporary ruler and in these two Kingdoms, the British influence was increasing day by day. Mir Alam was appointed a Vakil and an ambassador between Asaf Jah II and British Company. Mir Alam drafted letters on various occasions. Some of these letters are preserved in the form of manuscripts in various Libraries like the Oriental Manuscripts Library and Research Institute and Salar- jung Museum and Library, Hyderabad-A.P.
"Bagh-E-Bahar", is the collection of Mir Alam's letters drafted for Nizam Ali Khan, Arastu Jah, his friends and relatives. This codex has been compiled by Hussain Ali Khan. He writes in the preface that he was not qualified to scribe these letters, but by the grace of God he attained the knowledge and art of scribing during the period of his life. So he made up his mind to arrange and compile these letters. In the preface he writes that he has given the Chronogram title "Bagh-E-Bahar" in 1211 AH/1797AD. The size of the manuscript is 20×12 cm, lines 13 Folio 41, Script, clear Shikista Nastaliq Date of transcription, 1244 AH, Script, Abdur Rahman Mirza Kareem Baig. The text of this codex has been disturbed very often by the worms. All the names of t addressees have been generally rubricated at the beginning of the letters. Some notes have been jotted marginally by the writer.
The other four copies of this manuscript are in Salar Jung Museum and Library, The details of the manuscripts are as below:-
Codex. 40. The size of the manuscripts is 18.6 x 13.7 cm. written in good nastaliq by Mir Dilawar Ali Danish Takhallus on 17th Shawwal, 1334 AH/17th August, 1916. The condition of the manuscript Is good.
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