Manuscripts stolen from the Punjab University Library

[Asko.Parpola at Helsinki.FI]

I have been forwarded the following message, where I have just corrected
the titles of some of the Sanskrit mss. AP



>From:   IN%"MuhammadIsa.Waley at london.british-library.uk" 21-FEB-1996
>18:55:12.71

>Subj:   STOLEN MANUSCRIPTS: PUNJAB UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
>


>
>     The British Library has just received a letter from Mr
>     Jamil Ahmad Shah, Chief Librarian, Punjab University
>     Library, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan;
>     telephone number 5868853.
>
>     Most unfortunately several precious manuscripts - five
>     in Arabic, one in Persian, and six in Sanskrit - were
>     stolen in early November 1995. All six of the Islamic
>     manuscripts are from the Sherani collection, the
>     importance of which will be known to many colleagues.
>     See Muhammad Bashir Husayn, Fihrist-i makhtutat-i
>     Sherani (in Urdu).
>
>     Mr Shah has requested our cooperation and asks that
>     colleagues not purchase these documents but instead
>     keep them in their own custody and inform him of the
>     identity of the person(s) responsible.
>
>     Although one is urged to keep LIS-Middle-East messages
>     concise, it seems appropriate this time to include full
>     details of the items, not forgetting those in Sanskrit
>     for the benefit of our members' Indologist colleagues.
>
>     ARABIC
>     1. Qur'an. Kufic script, 312 folios, 27 x 21 cm., ca.
>     5th century Hijri.  Sherani 6374.
>     2. Qur'an. Bihari script, 449 folios, 33 x 35 cm., no
>     date mentioned.  Sherani 1706.
>     3. Qur'an. Script not specified,illuminated opening,
>     312 folios, 1103 Hijri.  Sherani 1723.
>     4. Qur'an. Script not specified, illuminated opening,
>     307 folios, 18 x 5 x 11 cm., no date mentioned.
>     Sherani 1729.
>     5. "Imam Malik" [or rather 'Abd al-Rahman al-'Utaqi],
>     al-'Itq al-thani min al-Mudawwana. Vellum, other
>     details not given, 412 Hijri.  Sherani 1881.
>
>     PERSIAN
>     1. Jami, Yusuf va Zulaykha, with miniature paintings,
>     [Court Moghul?], Lahore 998, other details not given.
>     Sherani 1559.
>
>     SANSKRIT
>     1. Nyayavimsati vyakhya.  Acc. no. 6473.
>     2. "Dhurta Sawami", Apastanba [or Apastamba?] sranta
>     sutrabhasya.  Acc. no. 6475.

Read: DhUrtasvAmin, Apastamba-zrautasUtra-bhASya

>     3. "Kaardi Sawami", Apastamba sutrabhasya.  Acc. no.
>     6476.

Read: KapardisvAmin, Apastamba-sUtra-bhASya

>     4. "Ramagicit", Apastamba srauta sutrabhasya.  Acc. no.
>     6477.
>     5. "Ramagicit", Apastamba srauta sutrabhasya.  Acc. no.
>     6478.
>     6. Madhavacarya, Taittiriya samkitabhasya.  Acc. no.
>     6494.
>
Read: MAdhavAcArya, TaittirIya-saMhitA-bhASya

>     Thank you for your attention. It would be good to see
>     the guilty person(s) brought to book, and the books
>     brought back to Lahore.
>
>     Muhammad Isa Waley
>     OIOC, British Library, London UK
>     MuhammadIsa.Waley at bl.uk
>
>
>
>

Asko Parpola ------ e-mail Asko.Parpola at Helsinki.Fi
Dept. of Asian and African Studies, University of Helsinki