מכתב: MIAC 23973.26

מכתב MIAC 23973.26

מטא-דאטא

מספר מדף
MIAC 23973.26
שפה עיקרית
Arabic

What's in the PGP

  • 1 Transcription
  • 1 Translation

תיאור

Letter from Ḥusayn ibn Ḥasan al-Kanzī to the Nubian eparch Uruwī in Ibrīm. Ḥusayn writes that he has received Uruwī's letter, delivered by Uruwī's slave Ipisi, on a matter previously discussed, on which Ḥusayn does not further elaborate. Ipisi has apparently informed Ḥusayn that the "sharīf" was not present, and Ḥusayn says he will talk to the man when he arrives. "Sharīf" is a title meaning "noble one," and might refer to someone of illustrious descent or high social status, possibly a qāḍī. Ḥusayn informs Uruwī that his goods are in a place (i.e., likely a property) belonging to his brother Lāmiʿ. Ḥusayn reports that people from "the southern land" (bilād al-qibliyya) have been asking for help because of the actions of the lieutenant (al-khalīfa), the Master of the Shipmasts (ṣāhib al-suwār), and a deputy (nāʾib) of the Qūsa, a clan in Upper Egypt. As a result, the "commander" (al-amīr) reprimands the lieutenant, and has been sending instructions to protect the people of Nubia (ahl bilād al-nūba). Ḥusayn entreats Uruwī to support the amīr's efforts in reprimanding and curtailing the actions of the khalīfa, and not to write against these efforts. He also urges him to listen to the Muslims operating in Nubia, and not to the khalīfa. PG Khan, Qaṣr Ibrīm doc. 16.

Related People

Bearer
Ipisi
Mentioned
Lāmiʿ ibn Ḥasan al-Kanzī, Master of the Shipmasts
Recipient
Abū l-Khayr Uruwī ibn Khiyākh
Sender
Ḥusayn ibn Ḥasan al-Kanzī

Related Places

Destination
Ibrīm

תגים

Additional metadata

Collection
Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Qaṣr Ibrīm
תאריך קלט
In PGP since 2024
תמונה
תיעתוק
תרגום

MIAC 23973.26 recto

°
recto
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Documents from Medieval Nubia (University of Cambridge and Open Book Publishers, 2024).

Recto

  1. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
  2. اعلم حضرة مولاي صاحب الخيل اطاله الله بقاه وادام عزه وصول كتاب على يده غلامها
  3. ابس فى حال الموضع الذي كان تقدم فيه الحديث مع الشريف وان الرجل المذكور
  4. غايب فعند وصوله اجتمع به واتحدث معه فيما اعرف به واما حال ما اعرف به
  5. الحضرة المخدومة فهو ان اسبابى فى موضع اخي لامع والوصية والقيام بخدمتها
  6. فهذا هو امرا لازم لي في حقك فا الله تبارك وتعالي يجري الخيرات على يديك
  7. واما حال البلاد القبلية فقد كان تواصل منها اقوام يشتكوا الخليفة وصاحب
  8. السوار ونائب للقوسة واما هذا الاغاتة في البلاد فنزل <ا>لامير ونكر الخليفة
  9. وانهاه عن ظلم الناس كلهم فايرا ما عندك من الاجتهاد في الصلاح وكذلك
  10. الحضرة المخدومة ايضا وكتبه متواصلة في كل وقت بحفظ اهل بلاد النوبة وعبيد صاحب
  11. الخيل فتكون تراعيهم وتقضي حوايجهم وهذا السبب اوجب رد الخليفة
  12. والحديث معه فلا تكون تكتب بخلاف دا فلا تسمع غير دل فاالله تبارك وتعالي
  13. يجري الخيرات على يديك واشتهى كتاب يصل الى جميع الولا بحفظ مواضع لامع وعبيده
  14. وكذلك مواضعي وعبيدي فانت تعلم ان تحسن خدم ولك الملك وقد ذكر الخليفة ان له
  15. رسوم وهو في كل ذلك وقف وقد كتب الى بن عمران نائب الحضرة بان يسل منه في جرايته
  16. فاجري به العادة وكتبها فلا تخلفني بمواصلتها بالاخبار فان الامير توجه

Recto, top margin

  1. متطلع الى ما يصل اليه من الاخبار من حضرتك وكتبها ولا تمنع عن الوصول
  2. الى الامير فرسلها متواصلين اليه في كل وقت وقد اعرف ان اذا وصل من صاحب الخيل
  3. كتاب فيصدروه الي مع كل من يصل وكذلك اخي لامع متطلع الى كتبها {ومهما}
Geoffrey Khan, Arabic Documents from Medieval Nubia (University of Cambridge and Open Book Publishers, 2024).

Recto

  1. In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate.
  2. I inform the presence of my lord, the Master of the Horses—may God prolong his life and cause his strength to endure—of the arrival of a letter by the hand of your slave boy
  3. Ipisi on the matter of the place that was discussed previously with the sharīf. The man mentioned (the sharīf?)
  4. is absent. When he arrives, I shall meet with him and talk to him concerning what I know. What I would like to tell
  5. my honourable lord is that my goods are in the place of my brother Lāmiʿ. Following instructions and undertaking your service
  6. is an obligatory duty for me for your sake. May God, the Blessed and Exalted, bring bounty to you.
  7. As for the southern land, people have been arriving from there complaining about the lieutenant (al-khalīfa), the Master of
  8. the Shipmasts, and a deputy (nāʾib) of the Qūsa. On account of this call for help in the land, the commander has come down and reprimanded the lieutenant (al-khalīfa)
  9. and forbidden him to do wrong to anybody. He recognises your efforts to do good and likewise,
  10. also my honourable lord. His (the commander’s) letters are arriving all the time giving instructions to protect the people of Nubia. As for the slaves of the Master
  11. of the Horses, please take care of them and provide them with their needs. This matter necessitated the repudiation of the lieutenant (al-khalīfa)
  12. and reprimanding him. Do not write in opposition to this and do not listen to anybody except them. May God, the Blessed and Exalted,
  13. give you bounty. I would like a letter to be sent to all the administrators requesting them to protect the places of Lāmiʿ and his servants
  14. and likewise my places and my servants. You know that they all perform good services to the king and to you. The lieutenant (al-khalīfa) mentioned that he has
  15. instructions and he adhered to all of these. He wrote to Ibn ʿImrān, the deputy (nāʾib) of your honour, asking him about his salary
  16. and he gave him his usual salary. Do not delay sending letters to me about your news. The commander is expecting

Recto, top margin

  1. in great anticipation news to reach him from your honour. Ensure that your letters reach
  2. the commander. Your envoys are in contact with him all the time. He has instructed that “when
  3. a letter from the Master of the Horses arrives, they should send it to me with anybody who comes here.” Likewise my brother Lāmiʿ is expecting your letters.

MIAC 23973.26 verso

°
verso

Verso, main text

  1.  ومهما كان للحضرة الاجلية من الحوائج فانني موقوف برسم قضى  جوائـ<ـجـ>ها
  2. وامتثال امرها والسلام والحمد لله وحده ونعم الوكيل

Verso, postscript

  1. وقد وقف محسن برسم حق العين لان كان كتب الكتاب 
  2. في وقتها لا يقدر على سوق البزازين فاسل حضرته بسط 
  3. العذر في ذلك ورسولي فهو يصلك بعد كتابي هذا

Verso, address, right column

  1. حضرة مولاي الاكشيل صاحب الخيل ووزير الملك اروي
  2. متولي بلاد مريس واعمالها 
  3. اطال الله بقاه وادام عزه

 

Verso, address, left column

  1. شاكر تفضلها 
  2. حسين بن حسن الكنزى

 

Verso

  1. Whatever needs your illustrious honour has, I am committed to carrying out your needs
  2. and obeying your instruction. Farewell. Praise be to God alone. What a fine keeper is He!

Verso, postscript

  1. Muḥsin has been delayed in delivering what is owed. Hehas just written a letter
  2. saying that he cannot make it to the market of the cloth-merchants. I ask your honour to grant
  3. forgiveness for that. My messenger will reach you afterthis letter of mine.

Verso, address, right column

  1. My honourable lord, the Ikshīl, Master of the Horses and vizier of the king, Uruwī,
  2. governor of the land of Marīs and its districts,
  3. may God preserve his life and cause his strength to endure.

Verso, address, left column

  1. One who is grateful for his kindness,
  2. Ḥusayn ibn Ḥasan al-Kanzī.
Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, Qaṣr Ibrīm, MIAC 23973.26. Available online through the Princeton Geniza Project at https://geniza.princeton.edu/documents/40175/ (accessed November 8, 2025).