Harley MS 3273

This volume contains a copy of Ahmedi's İskendername or Alexandreide. Ahmedi, whose full name was, according to one of the copies in the British Library's holdings, Tacuddin Ahmet İbn-i İbrahim el-Ahmedi, is mentioned in the Şakaik (f 18r) and in the Tac'ut-tevarih (f 111r) as one of the Ulema of the reign of Sultan Bayezit I. He studied in Germiyan, his home region (near Kütahya, Turkey), and in Cairo. After his return home he became the preceptor of the Prince of Germiyan, who was fond of poetry, and afterwards attached himself to Emir Süleyman, son of Sultan Bayezit, who raised him to a high rank, and for whom he composed the present poem and many laudatory pieces. The Şakaik adds to the above account an anecdote relating to a witty repartee by which Hamdi ingratiated himself with Timur. Latifi, who has been followed by Hammer (GOD I, p. 89) differs from the above works by stating that Ahmedi is a native of Sivas and that he was patronized by Emir Selman, designated as one of the Buy Beys of the reign of Murat Han Gazi. As to the latter point, the evidence of the poem is clearly against him. The poet died, according to Takvim'ut-tevarih (p. 105) in 815 AH (1412-13 CE).

Ahmedi did not translate the Iskandarnāmah of Nizāmi. As he says himself in the prologue of this work (f 24r), he did not tread in the footsteps of anyone, nor did he appropriate the work of another auteur. Although adopting in its main features the Alexander legend, as shaped by his Persian predecessor, he tells it in his own way, and adds much original matter. He weaves into the narrative philosophical digressions on the origin and figure of the world, on humans, their bodily structure and mental faculties, virtues and vices, etc. More than a quarter of the poem is taken up with a review of Asian history, placed in the mouth of Aristotle, who tells Alexander of the kings who reigned before and who shall reign after him.

The date of the composition is given with great precision, and according to four different eras, in the epilogue (f 319). The poem was completed on the first day of Rebiülahir 792 AH (17 February 1390 CE), corresponding to the years 1700 of Alexander, 759 of Yazdegerd, and 310 of Melikshah. There are, however, additions of a later date. The historical sketch is brought down (f 284) to the invasion of Timur and the death of Bayezit I (804-05 AH/1401-03 CE), and it concludes with a panegyric on Emir Süleyman, who is described as the rightful heir to the throne and the reigning Sultan. The poet adds that, should God grant him life, he would record in another book the deeds of Emir Süleyman. That intention appears to have been carried out, as Haj. Khal. mentions (volume III, p. 615), a Süleymanname by Ahmedi Germiyani.

A still later passage occurs some pages before (f 272): the history of the Ilkhanid dynasty is brought down to the defeat of Sultan Ahmet near Tabriz, by Qara Yusuf, an event that took place in 813 AH (1410-11 CE). In other copies, however, the same account concludes with the restoration of Sultan Ahmet, after the death of Timur (807 AH/1405 CE), to the throne of Baghdad.

In some verses which are wanting in this copy, but are found in Add MS 7918 (f 192r), Add MS 7905 (f 161v), and Or 1376 (194r), the poet, after relating the extermination of Rustem's family by Behmen, adduces, as other instances of the instability of human greatness, the fall of Bayezit and Timur, and, lastly, that of his protector, Emir Süleyman. The Emir, fleeing from Edirne before his brother Musa, was stopped on his way to Istanbul and put to death by order of the latter in the early part of 814 AH (1411-12 CE).

The contents of the present copy largely match the analysis of the poems found in a number of different secondary sources, including those of Hammer. This work, however, appears to have sections missing from Hammer's text, especially Alexander's journey to Sistan, and his romantic adventures with Gulshah, daughter of King Zeresp (ff 59-100). It contains as well the first part of the section relating to Alexander's projected expedition to India, and his dealing with King Keyd and the Indian sages.

The first and last pages of the present copy have been supplied by later hands. A Latin notice by Salomon Negri (Sulayman ibn Ya'qub) is prefixed. The Ottoman Turkish text features a large number of archaic spellings.

The manuscript was likely copied in the 15th century CE.