Taz̤kerat al-sho‘arā Persian 1998

Tazkirat al-Shuʿarāʾ by Sultan Mohammad Motrebi Samarqandi (966–1040 AH), a Tajik scholar and poet from Transoxiana, is one of the significant works of Persian biographical anthologies, devoted to the introduction of poets and selections from their poetry. This edition has been critically edited by Ali Rafi‘i Allamrudishti, who has supplemented the text with annotations and an extensive introduction discussing the manuscripts, sources, and editorial methodology.

Contrary to the view that dates the composition of the work to 966 AH, the editor demonstrates—based on the author’s own explicit statements—that Tazkirat al-Shuʿarāʾ was composed in 1013 AH, while 966 AH in fact corresponds to the author’s year of birth. The structure of the book consists of three introductions (by the editor, Asghar Janfada, and the author) followed by the main text, which includes biographical entries on 343 poets.

This tazkira is regarded as an important literary and historical source for the tenth and eleventh centuries AH, offering a broad portrayal of the literary and cultural milieu and the poetic networks of Transoxiana, Iran, and India. While emphasizing the work’s high scholarly value, the editor also notes Motrebi’s personal biases in his evaluations of certain poets—particularly his pronounced praise of his teacher Hasan Khwāja Nithārī and his critical stance toward ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Mushfiqī. Nevertheless, given the author’s explicit acknowledgment of his positions, such subjectivity does not diminish the historical significance of the work.

Overall, Tazkirat al-Shuʿarāʾ stands as a valuable source for the study of poets, literary movements, and the cultural landscape of Transoxiana in the tenth and eleventh centuries AH, and occupies an important place in the historiography of Persian literature.