SEMINAR. Indo-Persian palaeography and codicology

Indo-Persian palaeography and codicology

The fourth session of the Indo-Persian palaeography and codicology seminar will be held both in presence and online this Thursday, April 24th, at the Vieille Charité Campus, in Marseille. This session will be hosted by Victor Baptiste and will address the topic of vernacular manuscripts. The seminar is, as always, open to all. Please find the description below.

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This session of the Indo-Persian Palaeography and Codicology Seminar will be devoted to a topic that has rarely been explored by scholars: vernacular manuscripts copied in the Arabo-Persian script. A substantial corpus of manuscripts exists that were composed in neo-Indo-Aryan vernaculars such as Braj and Avadhī, two major languages of medieval Hindi literature, written in the Arabo-Persian script, with some modifications. The earliest of these manuscripts date back to the 15th century, and primary sources attest to such practices as early as the 14th century. Major works of neo-Indo-Aryan literatures, such as the Candāyan, Padmāvat, the poetry of Tulsidās and Sūrdās, and the compositions of Tānsen, have been transmitted, at least in part, in this script. Consequently, its study is essential for accessing Indo-Persian vernacular historical and literary sources. Unfortunately, there are very few resources available to support learners in the study of this script (which in many respects diverges from those used in contemporary Urdu or Punjabi) and this presentation aims at giving interested participants the foundational tools necessary to begin deciphering vernacular texts written in the Arabic-Persian script.
As usual, the introductory lecture will be followed by a practical session during which participants will read and analyze selected excerpts that exemplify the system outlined in the introduction.