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Book/Printed Material The Complete Guide to the Professions of Veterinary Medicine and Horse Breeding, Called "The Nasiri Book".

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About this Item

Title

  • The Complete Guide to the Professions of Veterinary Medicine and Horse Breeding, Called "The Nasiri Book".

Summary

  • The horse holds an important place in Arab heritage, dating from before Islam and continuing to the present day. Arabian horses are widely regarded as the "fountainhead" of the world's breeds, and have existed on the Arabian Peninsula since around 2500 BC. Pre-Islamic accounts of horses existed only orally, however. After Islam, many works on horses were composed, first as poetry anthologies, and later on such subjects as equestrianism and veterinary medicine. The manuscript presented here was written by Abu Bakr ibn Badr al-Din al-Baytar (died circa 1340), who served as chief veterinarian of the stables of the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun (reigned three times between 1293 and 1341). The book is titled Kāmil al-ṣinā ʻatayn fī al-bayṭara wa al-zardaqa (The complete guide to the professions of veterinary medicine and horse breeding), or simply al-Kitāb al-Nāṣirī (The Nasiri book), in honor of the sultan, who commissioned the work. It is divided into ten "essays," each of which is divided further into "chapters" discussing many equestrian-related subjects, such as the health of horses, breeding, and sports. The first essay highlights the importance of jihad and the merit of horses in wars. This inclusion is not surprising considering the character of the Mamluk state, which was built around a strong military that succeeded in defending Syria and Egypt from Crusader and Mongol invasions. The last essay-on the combat qualities of soldiers from different nations around the region and on hunting and sports-is taken from another work, Āthār al-uwal fī tartīb al-duwal (The traces of the ancient on the arrangement of nations) by al-Hassan ibn 'Abd Allah al-ʻAbbasi (died 1310). In writing the text, the author referred to earlier writers, including Ibn Akhi Khizam and Galen, but he also added his own observations and those of contemporary veterinarians, including his father. The manuscript is not illustrated, except on a few pages describing cautery. The manuscript was completed by ʻAbd Alla Muhammad Hassuna, on Muharram 1, 1316 (May 13, 1801).

Names

  • Bayṭār, Abū Bakr ibn Mundhir, 1309 or 1310-1340 or 1341 Author.
  • Hassuna, Abdalla Muhammad Scribe.
  • Nāṣir Muḥammad ibn Qalāwūn, Sulṭān of Egypt and Syria, 1285-1341 Patron.
  • ʻAbbāsī, al-Ḥasan ibn ʻAbd Allāh, died 1310 Contributor.

Created / Published

  • [place of publication not identified] : [publisher not identified], 1801-05-13.

Headings

  • -  Egypt
  • -  Iraq
  • -  Israel
  • -  Jordan
  • -  Lebanon
  • -  Saudi Arabia
  • -  Syrian Arab Republic
  • -  1325 to 1340
  • -  Arabian horse
  • -  Arabic manuscripts
  • -  Horsemanship
  • -  Horses
  • -  Horses -- War use

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 167 folios ; 23.5 x 17 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: Qatar National Library.
  • -  Content in Arabic.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021667379

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Bayṭār, Abū Bakr Ibn Mundhir, 1309 Or Or 1341 Author, Abdalla Muhammad Scribe Hassuna, Sulṭān Of Egypt And Syria Nāṣir Muḥammad Ibn Qalāwūn, and Al-Ḥasan Ibn ʻAbd Allāh ʻAbbāsī. The Complete Guide to the Professions of Veterinary Medicine and Horse Breeding, Called "The Nasiri Book". [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -05-13, 1801] Pdf. https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2021667379/.

APA citation style:

Bayṭār, A. B. I. M., Hassuna, A. M. S., Nāṣir Muḥammad Ibn Qalāwūn, S. O. E. A. S. & ʻAbbāsī, A. I. ʻ. A. (1801) The Complete Guide to the Professions of Veterinary Medicine and Horse Breeding, Called "The Nasiri Book". [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -05-13] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://aj.sunback.homes/item/2021667379/.

MLA citation style:

Bayṭār, Abū Bakr Ibn Mundhir, 1309 Or Or 1341 Author, et al. The Complete Guide to the Professions of Veterinary Medicine and Horse Breeding, Called "The Nasiri Book". [Place of Publication Not Identified: Publisher Not Identified, -05-13, 1801] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <aj.sunback.homes/item/2021667379/>.