Knowledge, Translation, and Commentary: Perso-Islamic Scholars’ Engagement with Sanskritic Tradition
Lingli Li (EHESS - University of Göttingen)
One of the Persian translations of the Bṛhatsaṃhitā by Varāhmihira (c. 505 - c. 587), known as Tarjuma-yi Kitāb-i Bārāhī, is a rare complete translation from Sanskrit preceding the Mughal era. Commissioned during Fīrūz Shāh Tughluq’s reign (r. 1351–1388) and executed by ʿAzīz Shams-i Bahā Nūrī with assistance from Sanskrit scholars, it reflects the Delhi Sultanate’s interest in celestial and astrological knowledge and sheds light on intellectual exchange in early Persianate South Asia. This study, based on Persian manuscripts in comparison with their Sanskrit sources, reveals that the translator intervened in crafting the translation in a unique manner. These interventions include structural adjustments, the selection and augmentation of content, and the incorporation of commentaries, providing insights into how Perso-Islamic scholars engaged with the Sanskritic tradition of jyotiḥśāstra and the unique characteristics of knowledge transmission across cultures during the Delhi Sultanate period.