Ni'matnāmah Naṣir al-Dīn Shāhī

The Ni'matnāmah Naṣir al-Dīn Shāhī (Nastaliq: نعمت‌نامه ناصیرالدین‌شاهی; Persian: نعمت‌نامه نصیرالدین‌شاهی, lit. 'Naṣir al-Dīn Shāh's Book of Delicacies'), is a medieval Indian cookbook, written in Persian language in Naskh script, of delicacies and recipes, some accompanied by paintings illustrating the preparation of the dishes.[1] It was started for Ghiyath Shah (r. 1469–1500), the ruler of the Malwa Sultanate in central India. After he was forced to abdicate, it was completed for his son 'Abd al-Muzaffar Naṣir Shāh. (r. 1500–10).

Manuscript history

After the fall of Mandu to the Mughals, the manuscript eventually found its way to the Bijapur in the 1600s, as shown by a seal of Muḥammad 'Adil Shāh on the flyleaf.[2] It may have been part of the original Bijapur Collection. From Bijapur, it passed to Tipu Sultan and then to the library of the India Office. It is now in the India Office collections in the British Library, London.[3]

Illustrated page from the Ni'matnāmah showing the preparation of deep-fried delicacies and their presentation to the king. British Library IO Islamic 149.

Translation and study

A translation of the Niʻmatnāmah was published by Norah M. Titley in 2005. The book provided a complete facsimile of the manuscript’s folios and detailed study of the terms for flora, fauna, food and other substances, with their modern and Latin equivalents.[4]

Art historical analysis

The Ni'matnāmah was first published from the art historical point of view in 1959 by Robert Skelton (1929–2022), a life-long curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum.[5] Skelton noted that some illustrations have women painted wearing men's various types of Persian and Indian garments and turbans, including a specific style of turban which is also featured in Turkman style paintings of 1470s. The style of the surrounding landscape are influenced by the Turkman style of the last third of the 15th century. Art historians have also noted that at least two artists collaborated in illustrating the Ni'matnāmah.[6] These artists emphasized different features of Turkman style of Shirazi painting that was contemporary at that time. The illustrations also introduced representations of indigenous costumes of Malwa and Indian facial types. Such stylistic innovations are also seen in paintings from the Cāurāpāñcāśikā series. This suggests that reciprocal influences were at work between centers of painting of Muslim and Hindu patronage.[6]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nimmatnama-i Nasiruddin-Shahi.
  1. ^ Carl Hermann Ethé, Catalogue of Persian Manuscripts in the Library of the India Office (London, 1903). no. 149, catalogue no. 2775.
  2. ^ Identification and illustrations in https://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2016/11/nasir-shahs-book-of-delights.html
  3. ^ Norah M. Titley (2005). The Niʻmatnāma Manuscript of the Sultans of Mandu : the Sultan’s Book of Delights. RoutledgeCurzon; Ursula Sims-Williams (2021). "Collections Within Collections: An Analysis of Tipu Sultan’s Library," Iran 59, no. 2, 287-307, DOI: 10.1080/05786967.2021.1911760. Further details and illustrations in https://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2016/11/nasir-shahs-book-of-delights.html
  4. ^ Norah M. Titley (2005). The Niʻmatnāma Manuscript of the Sultans of Mandu : the Sultan’s Book of Delights. RoutledgeCurzon.
  5. ^ Skelton, Robert (1959). "The Ni'mat nama: A Landmark in Malwa Painting". Marg. xi (3): 44–48.
  6. ^ a b M Bloom, Jonathan (2009). The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture Vol 1. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-19-530991-1.

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