Research
in orientalogy is a tedious, tenacious and ticklish and time consuming factor
but editing of any theme whatsoever is not lagged behind but more problematic,
peculiar and painstaking than any facet of research.
Editing of manuscript, journals and texts of varied and veritable
interests or editing of catalogues, all these themes though come in the domain
of research, yet editing of catalogues and bibliographies demonstrates
diametrically debated and difficult problems.
They not only facing the scholar but exhausting him in developing any
hypothetical and synthetical delebrations or discourses in disseminating mature
results by examining the original sources and raw material of historical facts
and archival documents in right earnest.
Orientalogy, having been a cherished subject pragmatic with multifaceted
disciplines interdependently intervoven and inter-related with each other, has
always been relegated to neglect perhaps being retanted by lack of profound
knowledge or constraint of resources and aptitudes of the highest magitude.
The compilation of data-collection and channelisation of facts in
systematic and categorized ways and means rather in methodological terms in tune
with chronological order embracing the salient features and characteristics of a
scientific system of expertise with a critical preface.
It can analytically be coined as editing, but it is higher than this
categorization. That is why editing
is always considered to be allied subject of research but I sense it owes its
own significant entity encompassing fundamentally all potentials and
peculiarities of research.
Editing is of course a ticklish but very interesting chapter of research
which can be categorized in multidisciplinary subjects of intrinsic values and
varieties, for example, editing of manuscripts, editing of difficult and
classical texts involving diametrically
divergent views either in deciphering or disseminating the theme in critically
textual format. This is technically
termed as redaction and rendition both cover the edition.
Redaction and rendition though separate are inter-related with each other
and overwhelmingly dominating the very topic.
The editing of catalogues and bibliographies also come in the domain of
this subject which basically focuses the spirit of editing.
I have since long been dealing with editing of catalogues and
bibliographies and textual criticism, I have gathered only nodding knowledge in
my sphere. With considerable amount
of certainty I can say that even after consuming three decades in this tedious
job, I couldn't develop expertise in the vast field of the inaccessible topic.
Similar had been the case of Maulana Imtiaz Ali Khan Arshi (of revered
memory) who arrived at the same conclusion while discussing certain problems and
technical methodology of compilation of catalogues.
Maulana Arshi is a renowned orientalist, veteran scholar and doyen of
cataloguers who easily occupies a prominent place in the illustrious galaxy of
the distinguished bibliophiles figuring with towering and titantic faculties.
His pioneering work of bibliographical interests pertaining to oriental
studies coupled with seasoned and sound experience in textual edition of
obsolete texts and undecipherable documents is professedly an institute's work
of acclaim and applause. He, while
perusing the data collection and biobibliographical notices of Arabic and
Persian descriptive catalogues, edited by me, appreciated my humble endeavours
in this varied sphere but simultaneously invited my absorbing attention to the
common problem of diversity of facts and dissimilar schemes followed upon by
various cataloguers. He also
insisted upon to evolve a common and systematic methodology of editing of
catalogues in a scientific and systematic way.
I had proposed some formats and methodological formulae which can be
evolved from various cataloguing schemes of the world, celebrated
bibliographists and cataloguers. I
have clearly pointed out that I had extracted some salient features from
Brockelmann, Storey, Rieu, Ethe and Stelingass following upon the methodology
from their erudite and scholarly works and thus out of certain significant
peculiarities of utilitarian interest, gathered from above cited cataloguers,
have developed a separate system of editing the catalogues in a renovated and
improved form. Since then I
have been delving deep in examining original sources while giving hypothetical
and synthetical approaches to this intensive enterprise which is still in
neglect and plight.
A Scholar while compiling and editing catalogues faces discouraging and
dejecting problems and he has to tackle the unsurmountable difficulties in
sorting out the themes, tracing out the titles and sub-titles and assigning
periods to the undeciphered and untitled manuscripts lying in an uncared for
condition and lose folios, fragments and tracts in a deteriorating and damaged
form. Moreover he has to adopt a
transliteration scheme in giving the Arabic and Persian titles in English
denoting the correct spelling in the light of phonetic expressions.
There is no uniformity in adopting transliteration scheme.
The basic and primary need of the cataloguer is to adopt this scheme as
to give vent to the phonetic expression into English in conformity with vowels
and consonants. This is a toilsome
and tedious job for a cataloguer when there is a rich treasure of Ash Shamsi and
Al-Qumari words in Arabic.
W. Alwardt, a veteran orientalist, has very scholary dealt with 10,000
manuscripts of Arabic preserved in
Berlin
, keeping in view the multidisciplinary
subjects of Arabic studies. He has
also framed a transliteration scheme in his own style and system in 18991.
Brockelmann, another learned cataloguer, has also deviced a
transliteration scheme which is more or less a healthy and considerably rich
one. He framed this scheme in 1937
in dealing with Arabic manuscripts. He
has not only deviced this scheme but also classified the inter disciplinary
subjects related to Islamics and oriental studies.
It is a separate science involving mastry over the subjects and
multifaceted problems cropped in furnishing data collection, bibliographical
notices, chronology, themes of the varied subjects and discerning aptitude in
deciphering texts with authentically and accuracy2.
Long before Brockelmann, there is one Haji Khalifa who has compiled
exhaustively and scholarly an intensive work entitled Khashf uz Zunun
treating of the oriental works with all their glosses, commentaries, annotations
and even super commentaries and critical reditions.
It is a first attempt but very scholarly and intensively aimed at and
dealt with. After Haji Khalifa no
one has cared for the editing work of bibliographies and Faharis, so called
catalogues, and more detailed form or catalogue raisonne though there is a mass
of manuscripts in each part of the world repleting with innumerable transcripts,
treatises and codices constituting a conspicuous heritage of the world teaming
with millions of people, their contribution in the varied aspects of art,
culture, language and religion. If
all the manuscripts and documents are accumulated and centralized;
the number could never be
lagged behind the printed works. Rieu,
Ethe, Springer, Loth, Storey and Brown have contributed a great deal in
compiling and editing of catalogues intensively and scholarly.
Apart from this team of scholars, modern pioneers and bibliophiles like
Kahhala, Zarkali (Ali-Ailam), Prof. Mahmud Shirani, Prof. Mahmudul Hasan Tonki,
Maulana Arshi, Maulvi Abdul Muqtadir, Ivanow, Muhammad Ashraf and Dr. A.A. Rizvi
have also played a vital role role in compiling and editing of catalogues in a
scientific and systematic way but on the lines of the above mentioned doyen of
scholars, Zarkal3 and Kahhla4,
in the context of furishing bio-data of the Arabic writers and scholars,
have indirectly summarized their works as well.
These works are indispensable for compiling any catalogue.
Mu'jamul Muallifin is, I am fully confident, is a copy of Mu'jamul
Musannifin compiled by Maulana Mahmul Hasan Tonki.
It is an unrivalled and monumental work edited exhaustively and also
scholarly which comprises as many as 60 volumes in Arabic.
Khhala's work is a condensed and abridged one, while Maulana Mahmudul
Hasan's voluminous Majamul Musannifin is very exhaustive and detailed one
containing bio-graphical notices
of more
than 60
thousands authors
of the
world.
1.
W. Ahlwarat, Arabischen, Handshriften,
1899.
2.
Prof. C. Brockelmann, Arabischen
Literature, Liden 1937.
3. Al-A'tlam,
Beerut, 1927.
4.
Umar Raza Kahhala, Mu'jamul Muallifin,
Beerut, 1957.
For
example, there are approximately 3,000 writers who are named only Ahmad, while
1,800 as Muhammad. The first four
volumes have been brought out from Beerut in 1923-24.
The last fourth volume ends with treating of the authors who are named
after Alif (A) annexed to the letter Ba(B) as Abdulla, Abdul Hasan etc.
It is a sheer misfortune rather a dreadful calamity that the remaining
manuscripts comprising 56 volumes have either been lost or mis-used in Al-A'lam
and Mu'jamul Muallifin.
The spirit of subjects and adopting of transliteration scheme in dealing
with cataloguing projects are the main problems impending the processing of
editing of catalogues.
Classification and calendaring is another problem meeting the scholar in
preparation of either catalogue raisonne or in tabular form.
The following methods of technical processing are invariably required:
(1)
Classification
and calendaring, the spilt of subjects in a scientific system of methodological
order following either Brockelmann. Browne,
Loth or Ethe, Rieu or a common formula extracted from different cataloguers
should primarily be contemplated which is a must.
After classification, the processing of calendaring is another intricate
problem to be solved keeping in view chronological order.
The classification of manuscripts chronologically in such an order that
the original treatise with its commentaries, super commentaries, glosses,
redations, renditions and even annotated versions whether they are propounded in
any period should be dealt with after the primary source.
This is a very difficult task; scholar and savants often feel confused.
Collation and quotation that is comparing one manuscript with other
copies from the texts, writings of colophon or fly-leaf and with those of
colophonic texts of the authors and scribes while examining and furnishing the
lines at beginning and ending of the manuscripts is another embracing work.
Sorting
of titles, catagorisation and channelization of tracts, manuals, untitled
fragments, recensions, super annotated reviews on the compendia with a governing
grip over marginal and inter linear notes coupled with expertise in deciphering
the seal impressions, historical and superscribed writings on the various folios
of manuscripts also invite the absorbing attention and concentrated
circumspection of the cataloguers. The
technical terminology and chronologically coined classical clauses such as
"Arz Di dah Shudh", "Mulahizah
Namudah", "Arz-Namudah", Swad "Minihiyat", "Tarkah",
"Barika", "Dandam nush", "Lapa kari", Afshan, Mina
kari, "Tazh ib" "Unwanat" "Jadawal" "Jadawal"
"Lawh" Balagha and so on are to be scrutinized with care and caution
which facilitate in assigning the periods of the manuscripts or the custodians.
Similarly the legends chronogrammatic titles, (Tarikhi Maddah) and the
specimens calligraphic art, ink, paper and the particular system called
traveling of letters from one period to another also come to rescue in
determining the chronology and helping the editing of catalogues in different
patters.
Contemplating fully the above mentioned problems and factors causing
technical and taxing difficulties in editing the catalogues and bibliographies,
we have compiled and brought out two
sorts of cataloguing works viz., catalogue raisonne and concise catalogue in
tabular form. Both require
consummate skill and seasoned expertise in compilation of data collection
comprising the following things; serial number with classified subject,
accession number, title of work, name of author, name of commentator, material,
script, size, folios, lines, extent, condition and age last but not the least is
a column covering additional particulars or remarks treating of data of
composition and copying and names of scribes, calligraphists and places with
casual remarks on the subject matter and other significance of the manuscript.
On the contrary, in compiling the catalogue raisonne we have incorporated
the particulars of the concise catalogue more over the detailed account of
internal and external evidences a perspective of re-su-me' of the theme and a
critical analysis pertaining to all the details of the manuscripts with the
specimenes of different portions of the texts have been supplemented with,
giving its references of being preserved and published in different collections
and publications. In the former
catalogue these data collections are in tabular form while in catalogue raisonne
all these details with critical approaches are given in descriptive form.
After editing the catalogue there should be a critical preface
incorporating a perspective and critical analysis on rare manuscript treating of
this subject matter, internal and external evidences coupled with a resume' of
the grouped subjects and classified works.
In this way the editing of
catalogues and bibliographies is more difficult than any work of research
because in editing the catalogues one has to delve deep in the informatory mines
of original sources while examining internal and external evidences and bringing
out synthetical hypotheses and analytical theses.
That is why we should think over this problem of editing catalogues by
adopting a common system of classification, calendaring and uniform scheme of
transliteration.