Ḥaji Zayn-i Aṭṭār’s Ikhtiyārāt-i badī‘ī and Its Contribution to the Ottoman Pharmacopeia Literature

Abstract

This study examines Ḥaji Zayn-i Aṭṭār’s Ikhtiyārāt-i badī‘ī, one of the leading manuscripts of 14^th-century Persian pharmacopeial literature, tracing its journey in the Ottoman Empire and evaluating its impact. Ikhtiyārāt-i badī‘ī represents a rich accumulation of knowledge in medieval Islamic pharmacology, bringing together the insights and experiences of the author’s contemporaries and predecessors. Moreover, it influenced many subsequent texts in Persian pharmacopeial literature. It gained prominence in Timurid and Safavid Iran as well as Mughal India, becoming a key reference in the medical and pharmacological literature of these regions. Through trade and scholarly networks, the text reached Ottoman intellectual circles and, from the 16^th century onward, became a frequently consulted source among Ottoman pharmacopeial and medical works. The similar level of interest in Ikhtiyārāt during the early modern period in Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal territories demonstrates the circulation of scholarship between these regions and how they inherited and utilized common intellectual traditions. This study highlights the contributions of Ikhtiyārāt to Ottoman pharmacopeial literature, including its role in helping Ottoman scholars learn about the identification, preservation, and application of plant species and pharmacological minerals of Iran and Indian origin. The translation of Ikhtiyārāt into Ottoman Turkish by Muhammed Rızā is examined in comparison with similar translations of the period, exploring the reasons for its translation. Notably, the fact that this translation was undertaken in the 18^th century, a time when scientific interest in Europe was gaining momentum, is one of the questions this study addresses.