Matla al-sa’dayn va majma al-bahrayn”. Page with information about Shahrukh Mirza's mission inSouth India

This page belongs to the manuscript “Matla‘ al-sa‘dayn wa majma‘ al-bahrayn”, one of the key historical works of the Timurid period.
Its author, Abd al-Razzaq Samarqandi, served as a diplomat at the court of Shahrukh Mirza. Unlike many historians of his time, he relied not only on written sources but also on firsthand experience.
Of particular importance is his account of a diplomatic mission to South India between 1442 and 1444. He was sent to the court of the Vijayanagara Empire, one of the major political centers of the Indian subcontinent. His observations include descriptions of political organization, urban life, and court culture.
The work thus combines historical narrative with elements of descriptive geography and diplomatic reporting, documenting interregional connections between Central and South Asia.
The manuscript on display is a later sixteenth-century copy, indicating the long-term relevance and circulation of the text.
It is written in Persian in the nasta‘liq script, widely used for literary and historical texts. The page layout is structured within framed text panels, with certain elements highlighted in red for readability.
The binding, featuring a central medallion and corner ornaments, follows established traditions of Islamic bookbinding and reflects the manuscript’s value.
Today, the manuscript is preserved in the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan.
This object demonstrates the active role of Timurid Central Asia in diplomatic and cultural exchanges across regions.