1/Day 5 of #bookhistory. Yesterday, we looked at the networks that connect British MS collectors to the markets in Istanbul and Aleppo. Today, we look at what made those places the sites where they bought books.~tw 1/16
First, we have to consider the diversity of manuscript cultures in the Ottoman Empire. They were often localized and community-specific. Matt Chalmers has written a great thread on the Samaritan experience with the English.~tw 2/
Let's begin with the imperial perspective, i.e. Istanbul. In the 17th century, Istanbul had possibly the greatest wealth in Arabic MSS in the world. It was the capital of a vast empire and produced texts for the court, the bourgeoisie, and the judicial system.~tw 3/16
It also housed the spoils of past wars. Ottoman officials brought back MSS from their posts in the provinces, too. On the effects, read @RiedelDagmar's post linked below.
Another aspect was addressed yesterday.~tw 4/16
Another aspect was addressed yesterday.~tw 4/16
The British had an infrastructure in place, which allowed them to access this book market. The consulate had local networks they could tap into; it also offered MS collectors a place to stay and legal protection, sometimes even money.~tw 5/16
The situation in Aleppo was not so different. The British Levant Company (BLC) was the main reason why British collectors could find MSS there. From Aleppo, they gained access to other markets and repositories in Syria. Robert Huntingdon e.g. traveled to Nablus, Damascus, ... 6/
..., Tripoli, Baalbek. His correspondence reached much further to Iraq and Egypt. Most often, his correspondents were monks. Both Huntingdon and Pococke relied heavily on experts in Aleppo.~tw 7/16
In a recent article, Claire Gallien describes Pococke as a "broker" of knowledge and a "passeur", "mediating between periods [...], people, and disciplines". Asymmetries were involved but his textual production was not hegemonic. In this he relied on partners in Aleppo.~tw 8/16
Those were "intermediaries among the Chris- tian, Jewish, and Muslim communities" who helped him "collect, compile, copy, and dispatch manuscripts". They taught him "the various tricks employed by scribes and brokers to lull ignorant Europeans into buying poor or fake copies." 9/
This bespeaks the existence of specialized and diversified local MS markets. Gallien highlights the impact of "the scribe and scholar al-Darwish Aḥmad", who bought MSS at good rates or copied others. He also chose some texts for Pococke, when he was back in England.~tw 10/16
Gallien acknowledges the trust between them in MS trade. I would add, the money and MSS were probably transferred through the BLC, which provided the infrastructure for their continuous collaboration. Aḥmad: “I will send you every book I see which is suitable for you.”~tw 11/16
In fact, Aḥmad "guided Pococke's encounter with Arabic literature", e.g. writing commentaries on the Gulistān.
This is important for manuscript extractions more generally. Who with local knowledge enabled a collector to access book markets, scribes, and repositories?~tw 12/16
This is important for manuscript extractions more generally. Who with local knowledge enabled a collector to access book markets, scribes, and repositories?~tw 12/16
In comparison, Pococke's travel mate John Greaves had less luck when in Egypt "where he found fewer manuscripts and of a poorer quality."
But he did not spend years in any Egyptian town/city. He did not have a trusted guide. So he had no access to the real treasures.~tw 13/16
But he did not spend years in any Egyptian town/city. He did not have a trusted guide. So he had no access to the real treasures.~tw 13/16
And "book market" should be always understood both in topographical and more abstract terms. All available books could be part of the market, even if they were not sold ON the market. Because of copying!~tw 14/16
But you needed access to those repositories to get copies. 18th-century Damascene author Ibn Kannān reports that books were kept in locked cases or chests and would only be taken out occasionally (he has one report on Ibn Tulun's books, see @boris_liebrenz's book).~tw 15/16
So that's why 17th-century British collectors could obtain old and copied MSS from Istanbul and Aleppo but not Cairo. If you want to know what happened once books reached e.g. @TCDResearchColl, I wrote on that (linked post, click "next" for more).~tw 16
tcd.ie
tcd.ie
For this afternoon, I'll give you two options. We would move on to the manuscript trade in Cairo (around 1900) or we could look at one interesting manuscript bought by Robert Huntingdon, probably in Cairo in 1681.
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