Perso Indica

[Preliminary Entry] The last chapter (bāb) of the Tuḥfat al-hind by Mīrzā Ḫān ibn Faḫr al-Dīn (17^th century) is dedicated to the ‘ilm-i sāmudrīk, a discipline that the Persian translators considered to be the equivalent of the qiyāfa, the physiognomy of the Muslim tradition. This chapter is divided in two parts (faṣl) on the features of men and women. Both parts are subdivided in paragraphs describing the different parts of the body including the lines of hands and feet. The chapter on men is more detailed and follows the order from head to toe while that on women is arranged in the reverse order (az pāy tā sar).

F. S.