Introduction and stylistics of the manuscript of the Usul Qabzah

Abstract

Usul Qazaba written by Qelichullah Ibn Muhammad Qelich Ansari Gujarati, is one of the most important treatises related to shooting and archery in the Persian language, which was written in the middle of the eleventh century of Hijri. In this treatise, which is written in eleven Criterion, and one Ending, the author describes and explains the discussed topics with complete proficiency. Nine manuscripts have been obtained from this valuable treatise, except for the one of them in Ayatollah Marashi’s library with number 16290 in Qom, all other manuscripts are kept in libraries outside Iran. Considering the importance of the subject and content of this treatise, as well as its openness in the understanding and completing the other shooting treatises, the authors intend to introduce and recognize this treatise as much as possible through the textual examining and stylistic analyzing of the only available version, and to prepare conditions for its printing.In the current research, this treatise has been examined from three levels of literature, language and content, and based on its results, several prominent features are worth noting: extensive attention to religious themes and believes; including special and unfamiliar words and terms in the specialized field; Gathering useful information about some topics related to shooting, such as Ghalib and Maghlub, cognition of horse and knowledge of Rijal al-Ghaib; having simple prose and away from complexity; not paying attention to rhetorical and artistic aspects. This research has been carried out with the descriptive-analytical method and using the available library resources.

Keywords

• qelichullah ibn muhammad qelich
• usul qabzah
• manuscript
• shooting
• archery