Taḏkira al-hind | Monography or Translations of known period | Medicine | Survey | Perso-Indica

Medicine

Monography or Translations of known period
Riżā ‘Alī Ḫān, Taḏkira al-hind

[Preliminary Entry] This treatise is also known as Yādgār-i Riżā’ī and was completed by Riżā ‘Alī Ḫān around 1237/1821-22. Riżā ‘Alī Ḫān worked as a physician in the administration of the Hyderabad State, and he was later attached to Māharāja Chandulal (d. 1845), the prime minister of Hyderabad.

The first version of the Taḏkira al-hind was written in Arabic by Riżā ‘Alī Ḫān’s father, Maḥmūd ‘Alī ibn Ḥakīm Ḥażrat Allāh.  Riżā ‘Alī Ḫān completed the work and translated it into Persian. This seems to be one of the few texts on Indian medicine that Indo-Muslim scholars compiled in Arabic. The Taḏkira al-hind is a dictionary of Indian drugs. The text begins with two chapters dealing with some basic concepts of Indian medicine concerning the constitution and physiology of the human body, diet and weights. In the conclusion (ḫātima) there is a glossary giving the exact pronunciation of various Indian terms. In compiling this work, the authors consulted both Sanskrit sources as well as earlier Persian works on Indian medicine, such as the Ma‘dan al-šifā’-i Sikandar-šāhī (q.v.), the Dastūr al-aṭibbā’ (q.v.) and the Ta’līf-i Šarīfī(q.v.).

F. S.

 

i) Place of copying; ii) Period of copying; iii) Copyist; iv) Commissioner;
v) Information on colophon; vi) Description of miniatures/illustrations; vii) Other remarks; viii) Information on catalogue(s)
Manuscript: 

Hyderabad, Salar Jung Oriental Library, ṭibb 50, 204 ff.

, i) Hyderabad, ii)

1291/1874

.

Lithograph:  Taḏkira al-hind, 2 vols., Hyderabad, Nizami Government Press, 1353/1935.

 
Main Persian Title: Taḏkira al-hind
Author: Riżā ‘Alī Ḫān
Alternative Title(s):

Yādgār-i Riżā'ī

Year / Period of Composition: 1236/1821-1822
Place: Hyderabad 
Quoted sources on India:
Ma'dan al-šifā’-i Sikandar-šāhī
Dastūr al-aṭibbā'
Ta'līf-i Šarīfī