Correction of Certain Expressions, Sentences, and Verses in Khayrāt Ḥisān and a Supplement to It

Khayrāt Ḥisān is a biographical anthology from the Qajar period, rich in historical, literary, and social information, attributes that lend it an encyclopedic character. Due to the inaccessibility of its lithographic edition, a new critical edition was published in 2015 (1394 AH) by Dr. Abolghasem Radfar and Robab Sadeghi Oskooei. The shortcomings of this edition may be categorized into three general groups: 1) Errors originating from Etemad al Saltaneh, particularly in his translations from Turkish or in the transcription of book titles and poems, issues that the editors overlooked, which consequently found their way into the printed edition. 2) Editorial errors made by the recent editors themselves in reading or transcribing names and verses. This includes mistakes in the critical apparatus, misattribution of sources, faulty transcription of Turkish verses, inaccuracies in the names of books and figures, misinterpretation of certain terms and idioms, as well as typographical errors, all of which are discussed and evaluated. 3) The absence of annotations where they were clearly needed, and the lack of essential indexes. Given the work’s inclusion of numerous names of individuals, places, books, Qur’anic verses, hadiths, proverbs, Arabic, Persian, and Turkish verses, and Turkish vocabulary, the absence of such tools presents significant challenges for researchers. The present study addresses these issues by examining the meanings of words and idioms, drawing on internal textual evidence, comparing with the lithographic edition, consulting the Mashahir al-Nisa (in Turkish), and, in certain cases, referencing the divans and writings of poets and authors whose works are cited in Khayrāt Ḥisān. Through the correction of these errors and the addition of explanatory notes and annotations, a more refined and reliable version of the text can be offered to readers.
 
Extended abstract
1.Introduction
Khayrāt Ḥisān is a book containing biographical accounts of renowned women from various historical periods up to the Qajar era, including figures from Iran, the Ottoman Empire, the Arab world, and India. Their transmitted sayings, poetry, architectural works, and miraculous deeds are presented throughout their biographies.
In the preface, Eʿtemād al-Salṭaneh, after elaborating on the dignity of women, notes that he had intended to conduct a comprehensive study of famous women when he encountered Mashāhīr al-Nisāʾ by Muḥammad Zihnī Efendi. He used that book as a foundation, adding to it and entitling the result Khayrāt Ḥisān. Since Mashāhīr al-Nisāʾ was written in Ottoman Turkish, Eʿtemād al-Salṭaneh essentially translated the lives of famous women into Persian, while also authoring and inserting additional sections.
The work was first published in lithographic form in three volumes between 1304–1307 AH and was reprinted in 2015 by the Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies (IHCS). The introduction to the reprint explains its purpose as follows: given the rarity of the original lithographic edition after more than a century, the Department of Textual Criticism at IHCS, under the efforts of Dr. Abolqāsem Rādfar and Robāb Sādeqī-Askūʾī, resolved to publish a modern, revised edition. Among the advantages of this edition is the translation of all Arabic poems contained in the text.
Apart from this merit, however, the lithographic version was almost entirely reproduced as-is, with its misreadings and transcription errors intact. The text lacks annotations and explanatory notes. Moreover, due to the abundance of Turkish verses, their transcription is at times corrupt and left untranslated. Considering the profusion of personal and geographical names, it would have been highly appropriate for the editors to provide commentary and to compile indices of names, Qurʾanic verses, Persian, Arabic, and Turkish poetry, as well as other necessary lists, thereby increasing the scholarly utility of the work.
2.Theoretical Framework
This study is based on an examination of Khayrāt Ḥisān from the perspective of textual criticism and involves comparison with both the Ottoman Turkish original Mashāhīr al-Nisāʾ and the lithographic edition.
3.Methodology
The printed edition of Khayrāt Ḥisān was compared with both the lithographic text and Zihnī Efendi’s Aʿlām al-Nisāʾ. Discrepancies were corrected. Additional reference was made to other texts and reputable Persian and Turkish dictionaries. Since the work contains Turkish vocabulary as well as personal and geographical names from the cultural domains of Iran, the Ottoman Empire, the Arab world, and India, necessary clarifications were added for each case in order to serve as a guide to readers.
4.Findings
The edition of Khayrāt Ḥisān prepared by Abolqāsem Rādfar and Robāb Sādeqī-Askūʾī contains the following issues:
Errors inherited from Eʿtemād al-Salṭaneh’s own translation from Turkish or his transcription of book titles and poems, which the editors overlooked and which subsequently entered the published edition.
Mistakes by the editors themselves in reading or recording names and verses.
A lack of annotations where they are indispensable, as well as the absence of critical indices, despite the presence of numerous references to personal names, places, book titles, Qurʾanic verses, ḥadīth, proverbs, and Persian, Arabic, and Turkish verses and vocabulary. This omission has complicated the work of researchers consulting the text.
 5.Discussion
In this study, the editorial shortcomings of Khayrāt Ḥisān are examined under two categories: general issues and other specific errors. In the general issues, attention is drawn to the neglect of the original source and its author as well as to the absence of essential indices in the edited text. In the category of specific errors, the following were addressed: correction of 21 passages (phrases, sentences, and verses); identification and citation of sources for 8 verses; correction of 17 Turkish verses; revision of 12 book titles; identification and correction of 13 personal and geographical names; explanation of 7 noteworthy terms and expressions; and detection of 20 typographical errors in the published edition.
6.Conclusion
The editorial shortcomings of Khayrāt Ḥisān fall into two groups: general issues and other specific errors. The general issues include neglect of the primary source (Mashāhīr al-Nisāʾ) and its author, lack of essential indices, and absence of annotations. Correcting such deficiencies - by, for example, properly identifying the primary source and author of Khayrāt Ḥisān and adding necessary indices and explanatory notes - would yield a more complete version, one that could assist scholars and also guide the general readership. The second part of this article, devoted to specific errors, deals with problems of textual correction, the sources of certain verses, corrections of Turkish poetry, transcription of book titles, recording of names, clarification of key terms and expressions, and typographical mistakes. Correcting these aspects as well would provide a more accurate version of the work. Taken together, the improvements discussed in this article would result in a properly revised edition of Khayrāt Ḥisān for the benefit of researchers and interested readers alike.
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