מכתב: MIAC 23973.49
מכתב MIAC 23973.49What's in the PGP
- 1 Transcription
- 1 Translation
תיאור
Letter from Lāmiʿ b. Ḥasan al-Kanzī to the Nubian eparch Uruwī ibn Khiyākh in Ibrīm, the Ikshīl and Master of the Horses. The letter shows an Egyptian official facilitating trade for Muslim merchants in Nubia and seeking the protection of local authorities for them. Lāmiʿ complains about the mistreatment of merchants traveling to Nubia. Every year, many boats travel to Nubia but are "badly mistreated" by the eparch's officials. This year, people from the port (of Aswan) faced two obstacles: injustice from locals and a shortage of goods. Lāmiʿ claims credit for alleviating these problems: "I took some haircutters (and opened sacks of produce) and gave relief to the people," with Nubians being the first beneficiaries. He asserts that without his intervention, "they would not have found produce, nor did anybody dare send (produce)." He mentions that he has personally sent two boats with his own goods, and requests protection for them: "I would like the Ikshīl to ensure that nobody obstructs them and that nobody diminishes what is rightly theirs." Lāmiʿ asks that if the boat crews need "pieces of karūk (calico cloth)," the eparch should provide them. Karūk was used as a form of currency. MR Alternate readings (ASE): - in r8–9, instead of مجزز شعر, it is possible to read مخزن شعير ("a storehouse of barley"), as in doc. 36 (PGPID 40708) where the same sender uses the same phrase (fataḥtu makhzan) in the same context. Khan, Qaṣr Ibrīm doc. 5.
תגים
Editor: Khan, Geoffrey
Translator: Khan, Geoffrey (in English)
MIAC 23973.49 recto
Recto
- [بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم]
- [ا]علم الاكشيل وصاحب الخيل اطال الله بقاه
- وادام حراسته وس?مته ونعمته انه يعلم ان
- في كل سنة تتوجه الى بلادكم عدة كبيرة من
- المراكب ويفعلوا اصحابكم معهم كل قبيح ولما
- كان في هذه السنة امنتعت الناس من الثغر
- بسببين احدها ظلم اهل البلاد لهم
- والاخرى عدم الغلة ففتحت مجزز
- شعر وفرجت عن الناس واولهم
- اهل بلادكم ولولا انا ما وجدوا غلة
- ولا تجاسر احد يسير وقد سيرت
Recto, right margin
- مركبين وجميع ما فيهم لي واشتهي
- من الاكشيل الا يعرض احد
- اليهم ولا ينزل احد فيهم
- وحقوقهم وان احتاجوا
- الى كروك فياخذهم
- لهم
Recto
- In the name of God the Merciful and Compassionate.
- I inform the Ikshīl and Master of the Horses—may God prolong his life
- and cause his protection, safety and wellbeing to endure— that he knows that
- every year a large number of boats travel to your land
- and your colleagues badly mistreat them. This year
- the people from the port (of Aswan) were hindered
- in two ways. One of these is the injustice done to them by the people of the land
- and the other is the lack of produce. So, I took1 some haircutters (and opened sacks of produce)
- and gave relief to the people and the first of them
- were the people in your land. If it was not for me, they (i.e., our people) would not have found produce,
- nor did anybody dare send (produce). I have sent
Recto, right margin
- two boats and everything in them is mine. I would like
- the Ikshīl to ensure that nobody obstructs
- them and that nobody diminishes
- what is rightly theirs, and if they need
- pieces of calico cloth, then please undertake to provide these
- for them.
MIAC 23973.49 verso
Verso
- ولا يتفضلوا عنك الا وهم شاكرين ان شا الله
- وان كان لك حاجة فاكتب الى بها ان شا الله عز وجل
- الحمد لله وحده وصلواته على سيدنا محمد نبيه وسلامه
- حسبنا الله ونعم الوكيل
Verso, address, right column
- للاكشيل وصاحب الخيل ووزير الملك
- اروي بن خياخ النائب عن الملك
Verso, address, left column
- شاكره
- لامع بن حسن الكنزي
Verso
- They will not receive a favour from you without being grateful, if God wills.
- If you have any need, write to me concerning it, if God, the Mighty and Glorious, wills.
- Praise be to God alone, His blessings be upon our lord Muḥammad, His prophet, and His peace.
- Our sufficiency is God. What a fine keeper is He!
Verso, address, right column
- To the Ikshīl, Master of the Horses, vizier of the king
- Uruwī ibn Khiyākh, the deputy of the king.
Verso, address, left column
- One grateful to him,
- Lāmiʿ ibn Ḥasan al-Kanzī.