ATARNarchive

Hidayat al-rami

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amatuccio
The British Library site have a wonderful section dedicate to manuscripts images.
I you go in the search page

http://www.imagesonline.bl.uk/britishli ... earchinput

and input in title work field "Hidayat al-rami", there appear many very beautiful pictures from the indo-persan manuscript. On this work have already wrote Latham (if I remember well). I thing that their contents are similar to other arab treatises. But, apart from the very interesting and beautiful enluminures, I want point your attenction on the pictures reapresenting archers drawing. All pictures seems show archers drawing just until mouth's corner, like in modern "mediterranean" anchor, and not until ear.

What is your opinion:

1) Does is a tipical indo-persan techinque?
2) Does such method maybe more accurate, although less powerful ?
3) Does anyone tried this method ?
Bede
The Hidayat ar-Rami is a Persian (Farsi) manuscript written in India around 1500. This copy looks like a later Indian version called the Marqis of Bute manuscript after one of its owners.

Edward McEwen has translated a part of this manuscript in a copy of the Journal of the Society of Archer-Antiquaries.

Regarding the draw, most manuals list various draws for people of different body shapes. Drawing to the corner of the mouth was known. With the thumb draw, the closer the nock of the arrow is to a vertical line drawn from the dominant eye, the more to the left a right-handed archer has to aim. This can be a real problem with stiff arrows. However, using this draw is convenient for people wearing helmets and armour.

The Hidayat is a comprehensive description of many techniques and equipment and is very valuable for the study of Persian and Indian archery.
Redbow
Thanks Amatuccio for the website.
It contains some 17000 pictures !
You can look in "title index", under the words : arrow, bow maker, archer..
Some beautiful and very interesting pictures..
Uli
These links are not up-to-date any more.
I tried hard to find it but was not successful.
Can someone help me find these pics ?