A Taqriz for a Nineteenth Century Indonesian Manuscript

Kaptein, Nico J.G. ( Leiden University)

Heritage of Nusantara: International Journal of Religious Literature and Heritage
Vol 4, No 1 (2015)

In medieval Arabic literature a taqr³§ is a written endorsement of a certain text, which a prestigious scholar provides at the request of another scholar to support the latter’s new writing. In this sense it can be compared to the contemporary “blurb”, to advertise a new book. The taqr³§ is important because it connects and offers insights into active networks of like-minded scholars. Unfortunately this topic is still insufficiently studied and the present paper aims to make a contribution to this subject. The research examines an original taqr³§ from the nineteenth century which a scholar in Batavia obtained from his former teacher in Mecca. The paper shows that the taqr³§ is also in existence in more modern times and even beyond the Arab world.