An Important part of oral literature is devoted to folk tales. The only copy of "The Story of Madhumalat" under number 803 is kept in the manuscript collection of India Office, London. According to the in-text evidence and stylistics of the version, this story was writt
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An Important part of oral literature is devoted to folk tales. The only copy of "The Story of Madhumalat" under number 803 is kept in the manuscript collection of India Office, London. According to the in-text evidence and stylistics of the version, this story was written in the Safavieh era and in the Gurkanian court.This charming story - which is a beautiful example of sub-continental Persian prose - narrates the fate of Manohar, the prince of Kankar city, who falls in love with Madhumalat, the prince of Mahars city. He through the mediation of fairies, and also, alot of hardships, finally marry Madhumalat. Although Madhumalt's story is a folk romance, its prose is full of rhetorical subtleties.The present research, using the descriptive-analytical method, has surveyed this manuscript to explain and analyze its stylistic, literary and rhetorical features.The musical prose of the story along with the use of delicate literary techniques have added to the linguistic charms of this work. The intellectual and cultural atmosphere of the land of India as well as the indigenous and climatic elements of this land are clearly reflected in this story.Through this research, and during the introduction of this unique manuscript, the key role of the Persian language and literature in the Indian subcontinent during the Timurid and Safavid periods becomes more apparent.
Manuscript profile
