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Art. X.—An Account of the Autograph MS. of the first volume of Ibn Khallikán's Biographical Dictionary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2011

Extract

The Biographical Dictionary of lbn Khallikán, although it hardly merits the extravagant praise bestowed upon it by Sir William Jones, has always, and deservedly so, been held in great estimation by all those who have been induced to enter upon the study of the noble language and extensive literature of the Arabs. There is, perhaps, no other book in the whole range of the learning of Islamism which throws so much light upon Arabic literature; while the extensive erudition, and general accuracy of the writer, have caused it to be considered of great authority upon all such subjects of information as come within the design of the work. It has consequently been very frequently referred to by Orientalists, and many detached lives have from time to time been given in different publications. Within the last four years two complete editions of the entire work have been undertaken by the zeal and industry of two distinguished Oriental scholars: the one by M. Wtistenfeld, lithographed, 4to. Göttingen, 1835–31), of which seven fasciculi, comprehending six hundred and ninety-eight lives, have been published; the other, in type, by the Baron Mac Guckin de Slane, 4to. Paris, 1838–40, of which three livraisons have appeared.

Type
Original Communications
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1841

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References

page 224 note 1 See the fac-simile of this passage. I should observe that some one has clumsily attempted to restore three, or four words which had been a little defaced.

page 225 note 2 See Tydeman's Specimen Philogicum exhibens conspectum aperis Ibn Chalicani. 4to., Lugd. Bat. 1819. p. 15Google Scholar. See also notice Sur la vie d'Ebn Khallican,— by Quatremèrh, M., in the: Appendix to part ii., vol. 1Google Scholar of Histoire des Sultans Mamlouks de l'Egyple; 4to Paris. 1840. p. 180Google Scholar. Biographie Universelle. tom. xxi., p. 150.Google Scholar

page 230 note 3 See the facsimile of the leaf upon which the first part of this life occurs. It exhibits very accurately the MS. except that the different shades of the colour if the ink in the marginal additions, cannot be properly represented, For this, as well as the preceding facsimile, I am indebted to the kindness and skill of my very ingenious and learned friend Mr. Morley.

page 235 note 4 Alkaráfah is a place near Káhirah to the south-east, which has always been used as burial ground by the Muhemmadans. It lies between the city and the hill Mukattam: that part situate at the foot of the hill is called, or the little Karáfah. See a passage of Makrizi: quoted by De Sacy, , Chrest. Arab. vol. i., p. 238.Google Scholar