Public Documents from Sinnar

Document 17: Letter of Muhammad Abu Likaylik

DOCUMENT 17 Document 17 is a letter from the Hamaj Regent Mul).ammad Abu Likaylik to Arbab Badi b. al-Shaykh 'Abd Allah. The text was taken by the editors from the original, which is damaged around all the margins; fragments bearing the invocatio and the seal have been detached from the rest of the document.1 The letter is not dated, but may be placed within the regency of Abu Likaylik from 1762 to 1774.2 It is addressed to a nobleman from the ruling family of Qarrl, and probably a son of the late governor 'Abd Allah b. 'Ajib (Docs. 4, 5, 8, 9, 10). The purpose of the letter was to soothe relations between Arbab Bad! and thefuqara' of the Awlad D6lib, apparently ruffled by the intrusion of a party of the Arbab's soldiers into their community. Noteworthy is the reference to mu~allaq, literally "razor," but which may here refer to mu~allaqat, the small indigenous coinage of eighteenth-century Sinnar.3 / Y. ~ / j)ljl .J "x..JI.J / ~) ..\.0>.11 ..s~~1..illl4 ~I"JI jy"".)1 ()! ..-.. ~I 4"1 • ..s~4 ~I ~ ..,. 0.:01 ~I .J .r.>J1 ..vI L.:. / vi .:i.Jli: '1.J \,"pi byl V'" -::-~ V'" J=l.:.J.J1 .J~ .J / J=~I ..::.J.)~ ~ ..vI L.:. vi ,,?'11 ~.J / ~ ~..01 / .:;..bu -:;>J~ F I~I.J ":;J....., JI:i I~I 0.:01 .w .j / v:-o'1l ...Iii .j ..:;.)WI ""'~.J'11 J.:,.;. JI vl.W.-J1 ..r'..j.J ~I / J....>.,. ~I v~..01 0.)~1 .!ill4 ~I)I J."l: .J j)ljl J..~ J....>.,. / ~I ~ H ~ 1..1 ..vI ~ ~I Vi / 0.)~ ..::.,;1 ~I ~I / b~1 ~I Wli V"i.; ).) ~ V'" / .!l:J1 ..,..~I ":""!""" .ill v~ / I.J ~ ..,..L:.::J..01 &I.J ~ jii v::-JI~ / ~ ~ ~ .J ~~ "';.J~ 116 DOCUMENT 17 117 jfi I.. bl j".r4 w~ '1 J ~.)l:- J I ~.)..) J ~ ~l;..1 J6... .)~ ~ ~l;..1 7( ..::.:.1..1 ~ f.r4 ) 6(, •. ) II J:lW1 V" .:b..)l:.1 J.±.J.>I 5( I..~) J.u 6 (, .. ) I (, .. ) I.. ~..1.:0:! I ..:.I..j ~ ~I ..wI ~.)4 .!lUI I ~.l.:-' ,-:,yS... I j)W1 J o\.-..i:. I'll V"fi '1 I,.S")($J 5( ....A.IWI J ) ~..)l..: ..l.>1 '1 I .JJI .JJI Praise be to His friend. Prayers and peace upon His prophet. He who trusts in the King, the Guide Shaykh MUQammad, son of the late Shaykh Bad! 1160/1747-1748 (, . .) From the presence of him whom the Generous has strengthened, whom He will not distance from goodness and felicity, if God wills, who is happy in this world and, if God wills, in the next will be a martyr, the truthful one among the tribes, who is known for excellence, truthful in word and trustworthy in deed. When he speaks he speaks the truth, and when he speaks the truth he has ordained. He who trusts in the King, the Guide, the Judge, Shaykh Mul).ammad AbU Likaylik, wazir of the sultan. To Arbab Badi b. al-Shaykh 'Abd Allah. Thereafter: Shaykh Mul).ammad greets you with many greetings and says to you: The reason for this letter to you is aI-Kanda, the estate of the people of Faqih al-Sayyid. You know Faqih al-Sayyid and are his friend, but at present you are within his abode with a war party. Warn off the D6libab from it, and if they [the soldiers] have taken a single muJ:zallaq, take it from them and return it to its owner. Do not be inhibited by their orders. I am not blaming anyone. [After] I have informed you and warned you against disobedience [...] with your order, according to what was written in good faith by my lord King Badi. 118 DOCUMENT 17 Faqih al-Sayyid, in his time, increased [...J. God, God, let no one trouble them, and let him who disobeys my word blame none but himself. Farewell. IPor a previously pUblished version see Abii Salim, al-Filnj wa'l-arrl., p. 67. 2Spaulding, Heroic Age, pp. 305-325. 3lbid., pp. 146-147. 4Abii Salim, al-Khatm, p. 67. SInserted by the editors; see Abii Salim, al-Funj wa'l-arrl., p. 67. 6Lacuna. 7This passage is difficult to read. ...