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Kitab al-Wuzaraʾ wa al-Kuttab

English Translation of al-Jahshiyārī’s Kitāb al-Wuzarāʾ wa-l-Kuttāb by Tariq Mahmood Hashmi

0. Translating al-Jahshiyārī’s Kitāb al-Wuzarāʾ wa-l-Kuttāb into English

1. The Classification of Social Classes and Scribes

2. The Scribes Among The Persians

3. Scribes of the Prophet [pbuh] 

4. Scribes of the Rightly Guided Caliphs

5. Scribes of Mu'awiyah b. Abi Sufyan

6. Scribes of Yazīd, Muʿāwiyah b. Yazīd, and Marwān


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English Translation of al-Jahshiyari’s Kitab al-Wuzaraʾ wa al-Kuttab: 2

The Scribes Among The Persians The kings of Persia were exceedingly strict with anyone who forged or engraved a seal resembling the royal seal. They considered such a crime equal to the gravest offenses and punished it accordingly. The Persian kings referred to the letter-writers as “the interpreters ( tarājimah ) of kings.” They used to say to them: “Do not let your desire to make speech concise lead you to omit meanings, abandon proper structure and clarity ( al-iblāgh ) in it or weaken the strength of argument.” It was the established practice in the days of the Persians that the younger generation ( aḥdāth al-kuttāb ) of scribes, and those newly emerging among them, would gather at the palace gates seeking employment. The king would then command the heads of his chancery to test them and examine their intellects. Those found worthy would have their names presented to the king and would be instructed to remain at the gate so they could be called upon when needed. The king w...
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English Translation of al-Jahshiyari’s Kitab al-Wuzaraʾ wa al-Kuttab: 5: Scribes During the time of Muʿawiyah b. Abu Sufyan

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1. Kitāb al-Tawḥīd: Introduction by the Author

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