TAMILNADU

Government Oriental Manuscripts Library

University of Madras Library

Chennai 600005

Introduction: The library was established in 1869.See Kawish Badri, “Qadim Tamilnadu aur Us ke Mawjudah Arabi Madaris aur Kutub Khaneh,” Maarif (Azamgarh) February 1994:

Catalog (s): Catalogue of Oriental Manuscripts in the Government Library, 2 vols., (Madras: The Library, 1860)

An Alphabetical Index of Manuscripts in the Government Oriental Mss. Library, Madras: Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Kanarese, Malayalam, Maharathi, Uriya, Arabic, Persian and Hindustani, (Madras, 1893)

A Descriptive Catalogue of the Islamic Manuscripts in the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, edited by T. Chandrasekharan and others and others, 4 vols, (Madras: The Library, 1929-1961).

An Alphabetical Index of Urdu, Arabic and Persian Manuscripts in the Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, edited by T. Chandrasekharan and others, (Madras: The Library, 1939-1981)

Number of Manuscripts: 536.

Works on the history or individual manuscripts in the library:

Sayyid Amir Hasan Abidi, “Diwan-i Qublan Bayg ke ek Aham Makhtutah,” Maarif (Azamgarh) (September 1978): 215-220;Isam Muhammad al-Shanti al-Makhtutat al-Arabiyya fi al-Hind, (Kuwait: Maahad Makhtutat al-Arabiyya, 1985), pp.28-29; Ubayd Allah, “Qadi Irtida Ali Khan Gopamau,” Maarif (Azamgarh) (November 1995): 388-391. S.A.H. Abidi, “Bayaz-i Yaghmur,” pp.323-336, in Pura-Prakasha: Dr. Ziauddin Desain Commemoration Volume, edited by A.K. Sharam, (New Dehi: Bharatya Kala Prakashan, 2003)

Amanati Kutub Khanah-i Khandan-i Sharaf al-Mulk

Kutub Khanah-yi Madrasah-i Muhammadi

Kutub Khanah-yi Rahmaniya

Shams al-Ulama Qazi Ubayd Allah Oriental Library

123 T.T. Krishnamachari Road

Chennai 600014

Introduction: These four private libraries belong to the Nawait families of Chennai and Hyderabad. An introduction to these libraries is found in Yadgar Number bi-Taqrib-i Jashn-i Sad Sala, Madrasah-i Muhammadi, Madras, 1989.

Catalog (s): Amanati Kutub khanah-yi khandan-i Sharaf al-Mulk, edited by Muhammad Ghaus and Afdal al-Din Iqbal, (Chennai: Madrasah-i Muhammadi, 1989); Kutub khanah-yi Rahmaniya (Madras) ke Urdu makhtutat, edited by Muhammad Ghaus, (Madrasah-i Muhammadi, 1989); Shams al-ulama Qazi Ubayd Allah Oriyantal Laibreri ke Urdu makhtutat, edited by Muhammad Ghawth and Afdal al-Din Iqbal, (Chennai: Madrasah-i Muhammadi, 1989)

Works about the history or individual manuscripts in the library:

See Annemarie Schimmel, “Impressions from a Journey to the Deccan,” Die Welt des Islams 20, 1-2 (1980), p.104, for her impressions of the Madrasa-i Muhammadiya collection. Isam Muhammad al-Shanti visited the Sharaf al-Mulk Library, Rahmaniya Library, and the Madrasa-i Muhammadiya Library during his trip to India in 1984, see al-Makhtutat al-Arabiyya fi al-Hind, (Kuwait: Maahad Makhtutat al-Arabiyya, 1985),pp.28-34. Nur al-Said Akhtar, “Fat’h namah-yi Mahmud Shahi par ek tahqiqi nazar,” Maarif (July 1991): 26-56. This article is about a Persian manuscript relating to the Bahmani Empire, which was published by Abu Hashim Sayyid Yushaa, but Akhtar was unaware of it. Salah al-Din Muhammad Ayyub, “Madrasah-i Muhammadi ke Amanati Kutub Khanah main Funun-i Harb ke Risalaon ka ek Majmuah,” Burhan (Delhi) (June 1969): 401-411; Jalaluddin, “ al-Aqd al-Madhab fi Tabaqat Hamlat al-Madhab: Ek Qadim Arabi Makhtutah,” Maarif (Azamgarh) (May 1975): 369-82, belonging to Mawlana Khalilullah Madrasi of Hyderabad; Ubayd Allah, “Kutub Khanah-yi Madrasah-yi Muhammadi main Mulla Abd al-Ali Bahr al-Ulum ki Tasnifat,” Maarif (Azamgarh) (February 1995): 133-127..

Tamilnadu Archives and Historical Research Center

28-29, Gandhi Irwin Road

Egmore, Chennai 600 008

Introduction: This archives contains the state papers of the Nawabs of Arkat-Karnatak in Persian and manuscripts in Persian, Urdu and Arabic, see Kawish Badri, “Qadim Tamilnadu aur us ke Mawjudah Arabi Madaris aur Kutub Khaneh,” Maarif (Azamgarh) (February 1994): 135.

Where are the manuscripts noted below?

A Catalogue raisonne of Oriental Manuscripts in the Library of the Late College of Fort Saint George, edited by W. Taylor, 3 vols, (Madras, 1857-1862)

Kutub Khanah-yi Ahl-i Islam, Fihrist-i Kutub mawjuda-yi Kutub Khanah-yi Aam Ahl-i Islam, (Madras, 1916; and Damima, dated 1924), which identifies 3352 Arabic, Persian and Urdu manuscripts. See the introduction to this library by Kawish Badri, “Qadim Tamilnadu aur Us ke Mawjudah Arabi Madaris aur Kutub Khaneh,” Maarif (Azamgarh) February 1994: 136-137;

Edward Charles Thawtes, Dakani Manuscripts Containing 50 Specimens of Hindustani Handwriting, produced in Facsimile, (Madras: Addison, 1892)