“Arakanese – Persian Dictionary” manuscript kept at The British Library
Posted on
Translated by By Dr Ko Ko Gyi from MMNN with the help of AI Gemeni
Things to know about the historic “Arakanese – Persian Dictionary” manuscript
Introducing the fascinating history of the valuable Arakanese – Persian Dictionary, which serves as historical evidence of the language, economy, and international relations of the Arakanese people during the 15th-century Mrauk-U period.
Historical Evidence from the 15th Century Mrauk-U Period:
As the calendar year 1542 CE is mentioned within this dictionary manuscript, it can be reliably confirmed that it was compiled during the reign of King Min Bin (Min Ba Gyi), a prominent ruler of the Mrauk-U dynasty. The entire manuscript contains over 900 pages and stands as an incredibly valuable historical text. Currently, this historic Arakanese – Persian dictionary is systematically preserved to prevent deterioration at the British Museum in England under the Code Number “ADD 12266”.
The History of Arakanese and Persian Relations:
Within the manuscript, Arakanese vocabulary is systematically compiled alongside Persian (Iranian) language definitions, pronunciations, and meanings. This fact highlights how deeply the Persian people studied the Arakanese language during that era.
According to historical records, trade and economic connections between the Arakanese and the Persians were highly robust during the reigns of King Min Bin, King Min Phalaung, and King Min Raza Gyi. Royal chronicles clearly show that economic and diplomatic relations continued to exist under subsequent successive kings.
Historical research evidence indicates that during the 15th and 16th-century Mrauk-U period, trade flourished intensely in the Bay of Bengal region, and the Persian (Farsi) language served as a highly influential official and diplomatic lingua franca (communication language) in Southeast Asian trade and diplomacy.
The existence of manuscripts like this “Arakanese – Persian Dictionary” (British Museum, ADD 12266) stands as solid proof that Muslim poets, merchants, and Persian-speaking officials settled and served within the courts and trading sectors of the Mrauk-U kings.
Historical Background & Explanation of Manuscript ADD 12266
The Facebook post captures the historical reality of the deep cross-cultural and trade ties between the Mrauk-U Kingdom (Arakan) and the Islamic/Persianate world. However, to understand the exact nature of this book, it helps to look at the official catalog records of the British collection.
1. Where is it kept?
While the post refers to the “British Museum,” the historic library and manuscript collections of the British Museum were officially separated into a distinct institution in 1973: The British Library. The manuscript is part of the British Library’s Additional Manuscripts collection, designated as Add MS 12266.
2. What is the actual content of Add MS 12266?
According to the official Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts in the British Museum compiled by scholar Charles Rieu, the manuscript is recorded as:
The “Maghi” Vocabulary: A Persian-Maghi dictionary. “Maghi” (or Magh) was the historical term used by Persian, Bengali, and European writers to refer to the inhabitants and language of Arakan (Rakhine).
The Layout: It consists of roughly 488 folios (which equals nearly 900 pages, as noted in the post) with about 15 lines per page. It is written in a clear Nasta’liq script.
3. Clarifying the Age and Context
There is a slight historical nuance regarding the date mentioned in the social media post versus the physical manuscript itself:
The Language Era: The vocabulary terms themselves accurately reflect the language usage, administration, and trade terms of the Mrauk-U kingdom’s golden era.
The Copy in the Library: The specific physical manuscript held under Add MS 12266 was actually written on English paper around the close of the 18th century. It is an archival record or copy generated during the early era of British involvement in India, capturing the language spoken by the people of Arakan.
Why is this book so important?
During the Mrauk-U period, the Bay of Bengal was a bustling hub of global commerce. Persian was the lingua franca of trade, diplomacy, and shipping tracking from the Middle East through India and into Southeast Asia.
Because of this, the Buddhist kings of Mrauk-U adopted many Persianate court titles, issued coins with Persian/Arabic script alongside Arakanese, and employed diverse advisors. This dictionary is definitive linguistic proof of that unique cultural synthesis, showing how merchants and diplomats actively mapped out the Arakanese language to seamlessly conduct state affairs and trade.
