Letter: MIAC 23973.50
Letter MIAC 23973.50What's in the PGP
- 1 Transcription
- 1 Translation
Description
Letter from Lāmiʿ ibn Ḥasan al-Kanzī to the Nubian eparch Uruwī in Ibrīm providing important political news to the eparch and historical information for us: the Fatimid vizier in Egypt has been assassinated. Dating: 1169. "God has protected us from the evil of Shāwar and he has been killed by the hand of Shīrkūh, the military commander." Asad al-Dīn Shīrkūh (the uncle of Saladin) has "taken on the viziership" and has "summoned the amīr" (possibly referring to Kanz al-Dawla), and "the amīr is determined to travel to Egypt for the sake of his (Shīrkūh's) expeditions and his aid." Lāmiʿ states that he himself is "staying in the country (of Nubia)" rather than traveling to Egypt at the moment. Lāmiʿ also introduces the bearer of the letter as Oua (اوه), describing him as "my loyal and respectful companion" and "my servant," and explains that he is traveling with Mārīkhura, who was mentioned in doc. 4 (PGPID 40153) as Lāmiʿ's ghulām. The sender requests good treatment for Oua: "Please treat him well and correctly and provide him with his requirements." MR Khan, Qaṣr Ibrīm doc. 6
Tags
Editor: Khan, Geoffrey
Translator: Khan, Geoffrey (in English)
MIAC 23973.50 recto
Recto
- بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
- اعلم الاكشيل وصاحب الخيل ووزير الملك اطال الله بقاه
- وادام تاييده وحراسته وسلامته ونعمته ان متحملها صاحبى
- وممن يكرمنى اوه وهو خادمى وكنت سيرته مع غلامى مارخرة
- فوصلنى متسفر فتجمله على قضية الحق وتفضل فى حقه
- فاحسبه على ثم مع اصحابى واما الاخبار فقد كفى
- الله شر شاور وقتل بيد شيركوه سالار حرسه الله وتوزر
- شر يكون واستدعا الامير اليه والامير معول
- على المتوجه الى مصر لمسيراته وعونه وانا مقيم فى البلد
Recto, right margin
- فان كان لك حاجة فاكتب اعلمنى
- بها ان شا الله عز وجل
- الحمد لله وحده وصلواته على سيدنا محمد نبيه واله وسلامه
- حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل
Recto
- In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate.
- I inform the Ikshīl and Master of the Horses, the vizier of the king—may God prolong his life
- and cause his support, protection, safety and wellbeing to endure—that the bearer of it (this letter?)1 is my
- loyal and respectful companion, Oua, who is my servant. I have sent him with my slave boy Mārīkhura.
- He came to me on his travels. Please treat him well and correctly and provide him with his requirements,
- and I shall reckon it as my debt and that of my companions. As for the news, God
- has protected us from the evil of Shāwar and he has been killed by the hand of Shīrkūh, the military commander, may God protect him, and he (Shīrkūh) has taken on the viziership to bear the burden
- of evil that is to come. He (Shīrkūh) has summoned the commander to him, and the commander is determined
- to travel to Egypt for the sake of his (Shīrkūh's) expeditions and his aid, while I am staying in the country (of Nubia).
Recto, right margin
- If you have any need, write to me and let me know
- about it, if God, the Exalted and Majestic, wills it.
- Praise be to God alone and His blessings be upon our lord Muḥammad, His prophet, and his family, and His peace.
- Our sufficiency is God. What a fine keeper is He!
MIAC 23973.50 verso
Verso, address, right column
- لاكشيل وصاحب الخيل ووزير الملك
- اروى خياخ النائب عن الملك بـ{ـقـ}ـقلعة ابريم
- ادام الله س?مته وحراسته ونعمته
Verso, address, left column
- شاكره وصديقه لامع
- بن حسن الكنزى
Verso, address, right column
- To the Ikshīl and Master of the Horses, the vizier of the king,
- Uruwī Khiyākh, the deputy of the king in the fortress of Ibrīm,
- may God cause his safety, protection and wellbeing to endure.
Verso, address, left column
- The one who is grateful to him and his friend, Lāmiʿ
- ibn Ḥasan al-Kanzī