137

THE TAESCHNER COLLECTION (Or. 12.372)

Cod.Or. 12.372 Terceme-i Siyaset §er‘fye ...l... An early 19th-century copy of a translation of an Arabic treatise on penal law by Dede Efendi known as Seyyid MinkarTzade (d. 973/1565-6 or 975/1567-8, cf. G4Z. II, p. 446; S II, p. 665). The title of the original is mentioned in f. 2a:6, its author in f. 2a:4. The translation was made by Mehmed Sirrf (mentioned in f. 2a: 12). No documentation on either the translator or his work could be found. The Arabic original, a work entitled Siyüsat sharïya, was a popular treatise on the broad discretion given to a Muslim ruler to deal with criminal offences (see for a detailed discussion of the contents, Heyd’s study, pp. 198-204). The treatise is preceded by an introduction (lb-2b) in which the translator explains how friends urged him to make the translation (cf. quotation below). A few interlinear corrections, marginal additions and indications of content. Bound in gold embossed dark red leather, the outer boards of which are covered in green cloth adorned with varicoloured paper clippings forming floral patterns in Oriental style; precious glazed white paper; two coloured ribbons are attached to the upper spine; 28 folios; 210x140 mm and 151x78 mm; 17 lines; catchwords; calligraphic ta ‘lik; rubrics, lines and Arabic quotations in red; gold borders within black and red lines; gold dots on f. lb; a headpiece with floral patterns in gold, red and dark blue on f. lb (see plate); completed by §enf SirrT Selim [Pa§a], governor of Salonica and Cavala [d. after 1242/1826-7, cf. SO 2 V, p. 1494], son of Serif Yüsuf Beg el-Evrenosf in 1235 (1819-20); the inscription ‘Franz Taeschner Ms. Nr. 49’, in his own handwriting, is found on f. la. Begins (lb, after a besmele): Uj cjlia. aju Ul ... ajJLdJI s Ljj ai» aaaJI * * • 1 Ü9 j ft a I From the introduction (2a): BAA Aa5U aA*iS fU. ... aLI J.a« 3 , JiLuM Ajciia tA;aLI 3 jAt Jv> j 3 OASÜ) 3 fLt Cya, aJLvj ph Ayfcj-i OmL-a i^&jaLI LiJtj JA Ji, ■*** i ** ••• <-ii£ï aL^iaLl S L>JI liA«»l MIA»' ... Aijijojii tfj-a ^4X4 AaJI aaLaJI JJÜ 3 ^ A.di.aJj) j+ay* u-slili-l 3 aLojl