Nastaliq: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Predominant calligraphic hand of the Perso-Arabic script}} |
{{Short description|Predominant calligraphic hand of the Perso-Arabic script}} |
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{{Italic title}} |
{{Italic title}} |
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{{Infobox writing system |
{{Infobox writing system |
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| name = Nastaliq |
| name = Nastaliq |
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| type = [[Abjad]] |
| type = [[Abjad]] |
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| languages = [[Persian language#Classical Persian|Classical Persian]]<br />[[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]]<br />[[Punjabi dialects and languages|Punjabi]] ([[Shahmukhi]])<br />[[Urdu]] |
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| time = 14th century AD – present |
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| native_name = {{nq|نَسْتَعْلِیق}} |
| native_name = {{nq|نَسْتَعْلِیق}} |
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<br/>The dotted form <big>{{Script/Arabic|ڛ}}</big> is used in place of <big>{{Script/Arabic|س}}</big>.]] |
<br/>The dotted form <big>{{Script/Arabic|ڛ}}</big> is used in place of <big>{{Script/Arabic|س}}</big>.]] |
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'''''Nastaliq''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|n|æ|s|t|ə|ˈ|l|iː|k|,_|ˈ|n|æ|s|t|ə|l|iː|k}};<ref>{{Cite web|title= |
'''''Nastaliq''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|n|æ|s|t|ə|ˈ|l|iː|k|,_|ˈ|n|æ|s|t|ə|l|iː|k}};<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nastaliq|url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/nastaliq|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328182321/https://www.lexico.com/definition/nastaliq|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 28, 2022|access-date=2020-07-05|website=Lexico Dictionaries|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|language=en}}</ref> {{big|{{nq|نستعلیق}}}}, {{IPA-fa|næstʰæʔliːq|lang}}; {{IPA-ur|nəst̪ɑːliːq|lang}}), also [[Romanization of Persian|romanized]] as '''''Nastaʿlīq''''' or '''''Nastaleeq''''', is one of the main [[book hand|calligraphic hands]] used to write the [[Arabic script|Perso-Arabic script]] and it is used for some [[Indo-Iranian languages]], predominantly [[Persian language#Classical Persian|Classical Persian]], [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], [[Punjabi dialects and languages|Punjabi]] ([[Shahmukhi]]) and [[Urdu]]. It is often used also for [[Ottoman Turkish]] poetry, but rarely for [[Arabic]]. ''Nastaliq'' developed in [[Iran]] from ''[[Naskh (script)|naskh]]'' beginning in the 13th century{{sfn|Blair|p=xxii, 286}}<ref name="Iranica">{{Cite web |author=Gholam-Hosayn Yusofi |date=December 15, 1990 |title=Calligraphy |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calligraphy |website=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]] |language=en}}</ref> and remains widely used in [[Iran]], [[Afghanistan]], [[Pakistan]], and other countries for written poetry and as a form of art.<ref>{{Cite journal|author1=Atif Gulzar|author2=Shafiq ur Rahman|date=2007|title=Nastaleeq: A challenge accepted by Omega|url=https://www.tug.org/TUGboat/tb29-1/tb91gulzar.pdf|journal=TUGboat|volume=29|pages=1–6}}</ref> |
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== History == |
== History == |
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The name '' |
The name ''Nastaliq'' "is a contraction of the Persian {{transliteration|fa|naskh-i ta'liq}} ({{lang-fa|{{nq|نَسْخِ تَعلیق}}}}), meaning a hanging or suspended ''[[Naskh (script)|naskh.]]''"{{sfn|Blair|p=274}} Virtually all [[Safavid Iran|Safavid]] authors (like [[Dust Muhammad]] or [[Ahmad Monshi Ghomi|Qadi Ahmad]]) attributed the invention of {{transliteration|fa|nastaliq}} to [[Mir Ali Tabrizi]], who lived at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. That tradition was questioned by Elaine Wright, who traced the evolution of ''Nastaliq'' in 14th-century Iran and showed how it developed gradually among scribes in [[Shiraz]]. According to her studies, ''nastaliq'' has its origin from ''naskh'' alone, and not by combining ''naskh'' and ''[[Taliq script|taliq]]'', as was commonly thought. In addition to study of the practice of calligraphy, Elaine Wright also found a document written by [[Jafar Tabrizi]] {{Circa|1430}}, according to whom: |
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{{blockquote|It must be known that ''nastaʿliq'' is derived from ''naskh''. Some Shirazi [scribes] modified it [naskh] by taking out the flattened [letter] ''kaf'' and straight bottom part of [the letters] ''sin'', ''lam'' and ''nun''. From other scripts they then brought in a curved ''sin'' and stretched forms and introduced variations in the thickness of the line. So a new script was created, to be named ''nastaʿliq''. After a while [[Tabriz]]i [scribes] modified what Shirazi [scribes] had created by gradually rendering it thinner and defining its canons, until the time when Khwaja Mir ʿAli Tabrizi brought this script to perfection.{{sfn|Blair|p=275}}}} |
{{blockquote|It must be known that ''nastaʿliq'' is derived from ''naskh''. Some Shirazi [scribes] modified it [naskh] by taking out the flattened [letter] ''kaf'' and straight bottom part of [the letters] ''sin'', ''lam'' and ''nun''. From other scripts they then brought in a curved ''sin'' and stretched forms and introduced variations in the thickness of the line. So a new script was created, to be named ''nastaʿliq''. After a while [[Tabriz]]i [scribes] modified what Shirazi [scribes] had created by gradually rendering it thinner and defining its canons, until the time when Khwaja Mir ʿAli Tabrizi brought this script to perfection.{{sfn|Blair|p=275}}}} |
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Thus "our earliest written source also credits Shirazi scribes with the development of ''nastaʿliq'' and Mir ʿAli Tabrizi with its canonization |
Thus, "our earliest written source also credits Shirazi scribes with the development of ''nastaʿliq'' and Mir ʿAli Tabrizi with its canonization."{{sfn|Blair|p=275}} The picture of origin of ''nastaliq'' presented by Elaine Wright was further complicated by studies of Francis Richard, who on the basis of some manuscripts from Tabriz argued that its early evolution was not confined to Shiraz.{{sfn|Blair|p=275}} Finally, many authors point out that development of ''nastaʿliq'' was a process which takes a few centuries. For example, Gholam-Hosayn Yusofi, Ali Alparslan and [[Sheila Blair]] recognize gradual shift towards ''nastaʿliq'' in some 13th-century manuscripts.<ref name="Iranica"/><ref>{{Cite journal|url = http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0502|title = K̲h̲aṭṭ ii. In Persia|author = [[Ali Alparslan]]|website = [[Encyclopaedia of Islam]]|doi = 10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0502|language = en}}</ref>{{sfn|Blair|p=xxii}} Hamid Reza Afsari traces first elements of the style in 11th-century copies of Persian translations of the Qur'an.<ref name="Hamid Reza Afsari">{{Cite web|url = https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-islamica/calligraphy-COM_05000067?s.num=3|title = Calligraphy|author = Hamid Reza Afsari|website = [[Encyclopaedia Islamica]]|date = 17 June 2021|language = en}}</ref> |
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Persian differs from Arabic in its proportion of straight and curved letters. It also lacks the definite article ''al-'', whose upright ''alif'' and ''lam'' are responsible for distinct verticality and rhythm of the text written in Arabic. Hanging scripts like ''taliq'' and ''nastaliq'' were |
Persian differs from Arabic in its proportion of straight and curved letters. It also lacks the definite article ''al-'', whose upright ''alif'' and ''lam'' are responsible for distinct verticality and rhythm of the text written in Arabic. Hanging scripts like ''taliq'' and ''nastaliq'' were suitable for writing Persian – when ''taliq'' was used for court documents, ''nastaliq'' was developed for Persian poetry, "whose [[hemistich]]es encourage the pile-up of letters against the intercolumnar ruling. Only later was it adopted for prose."{{sfn|Blair|p=276}} |
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The first master of ''nastaliq'' was aforementioned [[Mir Ali Tabrizi]], who passed his style to his son ʿUbaydallah. The student of Ubaydallah, [[Jafar Tabrizi]] (d. 1431) (see quote above), moved to [[Herat]], when he |
The first master of ''nastaliq'' was aforementioned [[Mir Ali Tabrizi]], who passed his style to his son ʿUbaydallah. The student of Ubaydallah, [[Jafar Tabrizi]] (d. 1431) (see quote above), moved to [[Herat]], when he became the head of the [[scriptorium]] (''kitabkhana'') of prince [[Baysunghur]] (therefore his epithet Baysunghuri). Jafar trained several students in ''nastaliq'', of whom the most famous was [[Maulana Azhar|Azhar Tabrizi]] (d. 1475). Its classical form ''nastaliq'' achieved under [[Sultan Ali Mashhadi]] (d. 1520), a student of Azhar (or perhaps one of Azhar's students) who worked for [[Sultan Husayn Bayqara]] (1469–1506) and his vizier [[Ali-Shir Nava'i]].{{sfn|Blair|p=277-280}} At the same time a different style of ''nastaliq'' developed in western and southern Iran. It was associated with ʿAbd al-Rahman Khwarazmi, the calligrapher of the [[Pir Budaq]] [[Qara Qoyunlu]] (1456–1466) and after him was followed by his children, ʿAbd al-Karim Khwarazmi and [[ʿAbd al-Rahim Khwarazmi Anisi|ʿAbd al-Rahim Anisi]] (both active at the court of [[Yaqub Aq Qoyunlu|Ya'qub Beg]] [[Aq Qoyunlu]]; 1478–1490). This more angular western Iranian style was largely dominant at the beginning of the [[Safavid Iran|Safavid era]], but then lost to the style canonized by Sultan Ali Mashhadi – although it continued to be used in the Indian subcontinent.<ref name="Hamid Reza Afsari"/>{{sfn|Blair|p=284, 430}} |
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The most famous calligrapher of the next generation in eastern lands was [[Mir Ali Heravi]] (d. 1544), who was master of ''nastaliq'', especially renowned for his calligraphic specimens (''qitʿa''). The eastern style of ''nastaliq'' became the predominant style in western Iran, as artists gravitated to work in Safavid royal scriptorium. The most famous of these calligraphers working for court in Tabriz was Shah Mahmud Nishapuri (d. 1564/1565), known especially for unusual choice of ''nastaliq'' as script used for the copy of Qur'an.{{sfn|Blair|p=430-436}} Its apogeum ''nastaliq'' achieved in writings of [[Mir Emad Hassani]] (d. 1615), "whose style was the model in the following centuries |
The most famous calligrapher of the next generation in eastern lands was [[Mir Ali Heravi]] (d. 1544), who was master of ''nastaliq'', especially renowned for his calligraphic specimens (''qitʿa''). The eastern style of ''nastaliq'' became the predominant style in western Iran, as artists gravitated to work in Safavid royal scriptorium. The most famous of these calligraphers working for the court in Tabriz was Shah Mahmud Nishapuri (d. 1564/1565), known especially for the unusual choice of ''nastaliq'' as a script used for the copy of the Qur'an.{{sfn|Blair|p=430-436}} Its apogeum ''nastaliq'' achieved in writings of [[Mir Emad Hassani]] (d. 1615), "whose style was the model in the following centuries."<ref name="Hamid Reza Afsari"/> Mir Emad's successors in the 17th and 18th centuries had developed a more elongated style of ''nastaliq'', with wider spaces between words. [[Mirza Mohammad Reza Kalhor]] (d. 1892), the most important calligrapher of the 19th century, reintroduced the more compact style, writing words on a smaller scale in a single motion. In the 19th century ''nastaliq'' was also adopted in Iran for lithographed books.{{sfn|Blair|p=446-447}} In the 20th century, "the use of ''nastaliq'' declined. After World War II, however, interest in calligraphy and above all in ''nastaliq'' revived, and some outstandingly able masters of the art have since then emerged."<ref name="Iranica"/> |
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The use of ''nastaliq'' very early expanded beyond Iran. [[Timurid Empire|Timurids]] brought it to the [[India subcontinent]] and ''nastaliq'' became favorite script at the Persian court of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]]. For [[Akbar]] (1556–1605) and [[Jahangir]] (1605–1627) worked such famous masters of ''nastaliq'' as [[Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri]] (d. 1611/1612) and [[Abd al-Rahim Anbarin-Qalam]]. Another important practitioner of the script was [[Abd al-Rashid Daylami]] (d. 1671), nephew and student of Mir Emad, who after his arrival in India became court calligrapher of [[Shah Jahan]] (1628–1658). During this era ''Nastaliq'' became the common script for writing the [[Hindustani language]], especially [[Standard Urdu]].<ref name="Iranica2">{{Cite web|url = https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calligraphy-2|title = CALLIGRAPHY (continued)|author = [[Gholam-Hosayn Yusofi]]|website = [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|language = en}}</ref>{{sfn|Blair|p=536-539, 552-554}} |
The use of ''nastaliq'' very early expanded beyond Iran. [[Timurid Empire|Timurids]] brought it to the [[India subcontinent]] and ''nastaliq'' became favorite script at the Persian court of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughals]]. For [[Akbar]] (1556–1605) and [[Jahangir]] (1605–1627) worked such famous masters of ''nastaliq'' as [[Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri]] (d. 1611/1612) and [[Abd al-Rahim Anbarin-Qalam]]. Another important practitioner of the script was [[Abd al-Rashid Daylami]] (d. 1671), nephew and student of Mir Emad, who after his arrival in India became court calligrapher of [[Shah Jahan]] (1628–1658). During this era ''Nastaliq'' became the common script for writing the [[Hindustani language]], especially [[Standard Urdu]].<ref name="Iranica2">{{Cite web|url = https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calligraphy-2|title = CALLIGRAPHY (continued)|author = [[Gholam-Hosayn Yusofi]]|website = [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|language = en}}</ref>{{sfn|Blair|p=536-539, 552-554}} |
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''Nastaliq'' was also adopted in [[Ottoman Empire]], which has always had strong cultural ties to Iran. Here it was known as ''taliq'' (Turkish ''talik''), which should not be confused with Persian ''[[taliq script]]''. First Iranian calligraphers who brought ''nastaliq'' to Ottoman lands, like [[Asadullah Kirmani]] (d. 1488), belonged to the western tradition. But relatively early Ottoman calligraphers adopted eastern style of ''nastaliq''. In 17th century student of Mir Emad, [[Darvish Abdi Bokharai]] (d. 1647), transplanted his style to Istanbul. The greatest master of ''nastaliq'' in 18th century was [[Mehmed Esad Yesari|Mehmed Yasari]] (d. 1798), who closely followed Mir Emad. This tradition was further developed by son of Yasari, [[Yesarizade Mustafa Izzet Efendi|Mustafa Izzet]] (d. 1849), who was a real founder of distinct Ottoman school of ''nastaliq''. He introduced new and precise proportions of the script, different than in Iranian tradition. The most important member of this school in the second half of the 19th century was [[Sami Efendi]] (d. 1912), who taught many famous practitioners of ''nastaliq'', like [[Mehmed Nazif Bey]] (d. 1913), [[Mehmed Hulusi Yazgan]] (d. 1940) and [[Necmeddin Okyay]] (d. 1976). The specialty of Ottoman school was ''celî nastaliq'' used in inscriptions and mosque plates.{{sfn|Blair|p=513-518}}<ref name="Iranica2"/><ref name="NESTA‘LİK">{{Cite web|url = https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/nestalik|title = NESTA'LİK|author = [[Ali Alparslan]]|website = [[İslâm Ansiklopedisi]]|language = en}}</ref> |
''Nastaliq'' was also adopted in [[Ottoman Empire]], which has always had strong cultural ties to Iran. Here it was known as ''taliq'' (Turkish ''talik''), which should not be confused with Persian ''[[taliq script]]''. First Iranian calligraphers who brought ''nastaliq'' to Ottoman lands, like [[Asadullah Kirmani]] (d. 1488), belonged to the western tradition. But relatively early Ottoman calligraphers adopted eastern style of ''nastaliq''. In 17th century, student of Mir Emad, [[Darvish Abdi Bokharai]] (d. 1647), transplanted his style to Istanbul. The greatest master of ''nastaliq'' in 18th century was [[Mehmed Esad Yesari|Mehmed Yasari]] (d. 1798), who closely followed Mir Emad. This tradition was further developed by son of Yasari, [[Yesarizade Mustafa Izzet Efendi|Mustafa Izzet]] (d. 1849), who was a real founder of distinct Ottoman school of ''nastaliq''. He introduced new and precise proportions of the script, different than in Iranian tradition. The most important member of this school in the second half of the 19th century was [[Sami Efendi]] (d. 1912), who taught many famous practitioners of ''nastaliq'', like [[Mehmed Nazif Bey]] (d. 1913), [[Mehmed Hulusi Yazgan]] (d. 1940) and [[Necmeddin Okyay]] (d. 1976). The specialty of Ottoman school was ''celî nastaliq'' used in inscriptions and mosque plates.{{sfn|Blair|p=513-518}}<ref name="Iranica2"/><ref name="NESTA‘LİK">{{Cite web|url = https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/nestalik|title = NESTA'LİK|author = [[Ali Alparslan]]|website = [[İslâm Ansiklopedisi]]|language = en}}</ref> |
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{{gallery |
{{gallery |
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|Folio from a Khusraw u Shirin by Nizami (d.1209); verso - text and illuminated heading (sarlawh) (F1931.37).jpg|Opening page to a copy of [[Nizami Ganjavi|Nizami's]] ''[[Khosrow and Shirin]]'' with calligraphy by [[Mir Ali Tabrizi]]. [[Tabriz]], {{Circa|1410}}. [[Freer Gallery of Art]] |
|Folio from a Khusraw u Shirin by Nizami (d.1209); verso - text and illuminated heading (sarlawh) (F1931.37).jpg|Opening page to a copy of [[Nizami Ganjavi|Nizami's]] ''[[Khosrow and Shirin]]'' with calligraphy by [[Mir Ali Tabrizi]]. [[Tabriz]], {{Circa|1410}}. [[Freer Gallery of Art]] |
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|First Page of the Baysunghur's Gulistan (CBL Per119.10f.1.v).jpg|Opening page from a manuscript of [[Saadi Shirazi|Saʿdi's]] ''[[Gulistan (book)|Gulistan]]'' copied by [[Jafar Tabrizi]]. [[Herat]], 1426/27. [[Chester Beatty Library]] |
|First Page of the Baysunghur's Gulistan (CBL Per119.10f.1.v).jpg|Opening page from a manuscript of [[Saadi Shirazi|Saʿdi's]] ''[[Gulistan (book)|Gulistan]]'' copied by [[Jafar Tabrizi]]. [[Herat]], 1426/27. [[Chester Beatty Library]] |
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|Nasta'liq calligraphy style - Mir Emad Hassani 09.png|Sura [[Al-Fatiha]] copied by [[Mir Emad Hassani]]. [[Museum of the Islamic Era]] |
|Nasta'liq calligraphy style - Mir Emad Hassani 09.png|Sura [[Al-Fatiha]] copied by [[Mir Emad Hassani]]. [[Museum of the Islamic Era]] |
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|Colophon from the Khamsa of Nizami - BL Or. MS 12208 f. 325v.jpg|Colophon from a [[Khamsa of Nizami (British Library, Or. 12208)|manuscript]] of Nizami's ''Khamsa'' copied by [[Abd al-Rahim Anbarin-Qalam]], dated 14 December 1595. [[British Library]] |
|Colophon from the Khamsa of Nizami - BL Or. MS 12208 f. 325v.jpg|Colophon from a [[Khamsa of Nizami (British Library, Or. 12208)|manuscript]] of Nizami's ''Khamsa'' copied by [[Abd al-Rahim Anbarin-Qalam]], dated 14 December 1595. [[British Library]] |
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|Amir Khusraw Dihlavi - Incipit Page with Illuminated Headpiece - Walters W6241B - Full Page.jpg|Page from a manuscript of [[Amir Khusrau]]'s ''Khamsa'' copied by [[Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri]] and finished in the forty-second year of [[Akbar]]'s reign (March 1597 |
|Amir Khusraw Dihlavi - Incipit Page with Illuminated Headpiece - Walters W6241B - Full Page.jpg|Page from a manuscript of [[Amir Khusrau]]'s ''Khamsa'' copied by [[Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri]] and finished in the forty-second year of [[Akbar]]'s reign (March 1597 – March 1598). [[Walters Art Museum]] |
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|Calligrapher’s license with a quatrain copied by Muhammad Asʿad Yasari (TKS GY 324.27-3).jpg|Calligrapher's license with a rubaʿi copied by [[Mehmed Esad Yesari|Mehmed Yasari]] from an exemplar by Mir Emad. [[Istanbul]], 1754. Topkapı Palace Museum |
|Calligrapher’s license with a quatrain copied by Muhammad Asʿad Yasari (TKS GY 324.27-3).jpg|Calligrapher's license with a rubaʿi copied by [[Mehmed Esad Yesari|Mehmed Yasari]] from an exemplar by Mir Emad. [[Istanbul]], 1754. Topkapı Palace Museum |
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|Signed Sami - Levha (calligraphic inscription) - Google Art Project.jpg|''Levha'' (calligraphic inscription) by [[Sami Efendi]]. Istanbul, 1906. [[Sakıp Sabancı Museum]] |
|Signed Sami - Levha (calligraphic inscription) - Google Art Project.jpg|''Levha'' (calligraphic inscription) by [[Sami Efendi]]. Istanbul, 1906. [[Sakıp Sabancı Museum]] |
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== {{transliteration|fa|Shekasteh}} Nastaliq == |
== {{transliteration|fa|Shekasteh}} ''Nastaliq'' == |
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[[File:Chayyam guyand kasan behescht ba hur chosch ast small.png|thumb|A [[rubaʿi]] of Omar Khayyam in Shekasteh Nastaliq.<br/>In print:{{rtl-para|fa|{{Nastaliq|1={{raise|0.4em|گویند کسان بهشت با حور خوش است<br/>من میگویم که آب انگور خوش است<br/>این نقد بگیر و دست از آن نسیه بدار<br/>کاواز دهل شنیدن از دور خوش است|size=1.25em}}}}}} In modern [[Naskh (script)|Naskh]]: {{rtl-para|fa|{{naskh|1={{lower|0.2em|گویند کسان بهشت با حور خوش است<br/>من میگویم که آب انگور خوش است<br/>این نقد بگیر و دست از آن نسیه بدار<br/>کاواز دهل شنیدن از دور خوش است}}}}}}]] |
[[File:Chayyam guyand kasan behescht ba hur chosch ast small.png|thumb|A [[rubaʿi]] of Omar Khayyam in Shekasteh Nastaliq.<br/>In print:{{rtl-para|fa|{{Nastaliq|1={{raise|0.4em|گویند کسان بهشت با حور خوش است<br/>من میگویم که آب انگور خوش است<br/>این نقد بگیر و دست از آن نسیه بدار<br/>کاواز دهل شنیدن از دور خوش است|size=1.25em}}}}}} In modern [[Naskh (script)|Naskh]]: {{rtl-para|fa|{{naskh|1={{lower|0.2em|گویند کسان بهشت با حور خوش است<br/>من میگویم که آب انگور خوش است<br/>این نقد بگیر و دست از آن نسیه بدار<br/>کاواز دهل شنیدن از دور خوش است}}}}}}]] |
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[[File:Ghafeleye Omr.svg|thumb|A line of poetry by the Iranian poet [[Omar Khayyam]] in Shekasteh Nastaliq.<br/>In print: {{rtl-para|fa|{{nastaliq|1={{raise|0.4em|این قافلهٔ عُمر عجب میگذرد|size=1.25em}}}}}} In modern [[Naskh (script)|Naskh]]: {{rtl-para|fa|{{naskh|1={{lower|0.2em|2=<span style="line-height: 1.5;">این قافلهٔ عُمر عجب میگذرد</span>}}}}}}]] |
[[File:Ghafeleye Omr.svg|thumb|A line of poetry by the Iranian poet [[Omar Khayyam]] in Shekasteh Nastaliq.<br/>In print: {{rtl-para|fa|{{nastaliq|1={{raise|0.4em|این قافلهٔ عُمر عجب میگذرد|size=1.25em}}}}}} In modern [[Naskh (script)|Naskh]]: {{rtl-para|fa|{{naskh|1={{lower|0.2em|2=<span style="line-height: 1.5;">این قافلهٔ عُمر عجب میگذرد</span>}}}}}}]] |
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''{{transliteration|fa|Shekasteh}}'' or ''{{transliteration|fa|Shekasteh Nastaliq}}'' ({{lang-fa|{{Nastaliq|شکسته نستعلیق}}}}, {{lang|fa|{{uninaskh|شکسته نستعلیق}}}}, "cursive {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}}" or literally "broken {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}}") style is a "streamlined" form of {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}}.<ref name="readnast3">{{Cite book |last1=Spooner |first1=Brian |title=Reading Nasta'liq: Persian and Urdu Hands from 1500 to the Present |last2=Hanaway |first2=William L. |year=1995 |isbn=978-1568592138 |pages=3}}</ref> Its development is connected with the fact that "the increasing use of nastaʿlīq and consequent need to write it quickly exposed it to a process of gradual attrition |
''{{transliteration|fa|Shekasteh}}'' or ''{{transliteration|fa|Shekasteh Nastaliq}}'' ({{lang-fa|{{Nastaliq|شکسته نستعلیق}}}}, {{lang|fa|{{uninaskh|شکسته نستعلیق}}}}, "cursive {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}}" or literally "broken {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}}") style is a "streamlined" form of {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}}.<ref name="readnast3">{{Cite book |last1=Spooner |first1=Brian |title=Reading Nasta'liq: Persian and Urdu Hands from 1500 to the Present |last2=Hanaway |first2=William L. |year=1995 |isbn=978-1568592138 |pages=3}}</ref> Its development is connected with the fact that "the increasing use of nastaʿlīq and consequent need to write it quickly exposed it to a process of gradual attrition."<ref name="Iranica"/> The ''shekasteh nastaliq'' emerged in the early 17th century and differed from proper ''nastaliq'' only in so far as some of the letters were shrunk (shekasteh, lit. "broken") and detached letters and words were sometimes joined.<ref name="Iranica"/> These unauthorized connections "mean that calligraphers can write ''shekasteh'' faster than any other script."{{sfn|Blair|p=441}} Manuscripts from this early period show signs of the influence of ''shekasteh taliq''; while having the appearance of a shrunken form of nastaliq, they also contain features of ''[[Taliq script|taliq]]'' "due to their being written by scribes who had been trained in taʿlīq."<ref name="Iranica"/> ''Shekasteh nastaliq'' (usually shortened to simply ''skehasteh''), being more easily legible than ''taliq'' gradually replaced the latter as the script of decrees and documents. Later, it also came into use for writing prose and poetry.<ref name="Iranica"/>{{sfn|Blair|p=441}} |
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The first important calligraphers of ''shekasteh'' were [[Mohammad Shafiʿ Heravi]] (d. 1670–71) (he was known as Shafiʿa and hence ''shekasteh'' was sometimes called ''shafiʿa'' or ''shifiʿa'') and [[Mortazaqoli Khan Shamlu]] (d. 1688–89). Both of them produced works of real artistic quality, which does not change the fact that in this early phase ''shekasteh'' still lacked consistency (it is especially visible in writing of Mortazaqoli Khan Shamlu). Most modern scholars consider that ''shekasteh'' reached its peak of artistic perfection under [[Abdol Majid Taleqani]] (d. 1771), "who gave the script its distinctive and definite form |
The first important calligraphers of ''shekasteh'' were [[Mohammad Shafiʿ Heravi]] (d. 1670–71) (he was known as Shafiʿa and hence ''shekasteh'' was sometimes called ''shafiʿa'' or ''shifiʿa'') and [[Mortazaqoli Khan Shamlu]] (d. 1688–89). Both of them produced works of real artistic quality, which does not change the fact that in this early phase ''shekasteh'' still lacked consistency (it is especially visible in writing of Mortazaqoli Khan Shamlu). Most modern scholars consider that ''shekasteh'' reached its peak of artistic perfection under [[Abdol Majid Taleqani]] (d. 1771), "who gave the script its distinctive and definite form."<ref name="Iranica"/> The tradition of Taleqani was later followed by [[Mirza Kuchek Esfahani]] (d. 1813),{{sfn|Blair|p=444-445}}<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/abd-al-majid-talaqani-revered-calligrapher-d-1771-72|title = ʿABD-AL-MAJĪD ṬĀLAQĀNĪ|author = [[Priscilla Soucek]]|website = [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|language = en}}</ref> [[Mirza Gholam Reza Esfahani|Gholam Reza Esfahani]] (d. 1886–87)<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/golam-reza-kosnevis|title = ḠOLĀM-REŻĀ ḴOŠNEVIS|author = Maryam Ekhtiar|website = [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|language = en}}</ref> and [[Ali Akbar Golestaneh]] (d. 1901).<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/golestana-ali-akba|title = GOLESTĀNA, ʿALI-AKBAR|author = Maryam Ekhtiar|website = [[Encyclopædia Iranica]]|language = en}}</ref> |
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The added frills made ''shekasteh'' increasingly difficult to read and it remained the script of documents and decrees, "while ''nastaʿliq'' retained its pre-eminence as the main calligraphic style" |
The added frills made ''shekasteh'' increasingly difficult to read and it remained the script of documents and decrees, "while ''nastaʿliq'' retained its pre-eminence as the main calligraphic style." The need for simplification of ''shekasteh'' resulted in development of secretarial style (''shekasteh-ye tahriri'') by writers like [[Adib-al-Mamalek Farahani]] (d. 1917) and [[Hasan Ali Khan Garroosy|Nezam Garrusi]] (d. 1900). The secretarial style is a simplified form of ''shekasteh'' which is faster to write and read, but less artistic. Long used in governmental and other institutions in Iran, ''shekasteh'' degenerated in the first half of the 20th century, but later again engaged the attention of calligraphers.<ref name="Iranica"/>{{sfn|Blair|p=445, 471}} ''Shekasteh'' was used only in Iran and to a small extent in Afghanistan and Ottoman Empire. Its use in Afghanistan was different from the Persian norm and sometimes only as experimental devices (''tafannon'')<ref name="Iranica"/><ref name="NESTA‘LİK"/> |
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{{gallery |
{{gallery |
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|Shakastah Nasta‘liq calligraphy, National Library of Iran, No. 2313.jpg|Calligraphy by [[Mohammad Shafiʿ Heravi]]. [[National Library of Iran]] |
|Shakastah Nasta‘liq calligraphy, National Library of Iran, No. 2313.jpg|Calligraphy by [[Mohammad Shafiʿ Heravi]]. [[National Library of Iran]] |
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|File:Double page from "Majmu‘a-i munsh‘at" by Abu‘l-Qasim Ivughli Haydar (S2014.7).jpg|Double page from the "Majmu‘a-i munsh‘at" |
|File:Double page from "Majmu‘a-i munsh‘at" by Abu‘l-Qasim Ivughli Haydar (S2014.7).jpg|Double page from the "Majmu‘a-i munsh‘at" – collection of correspondence sent by Persian rulers compiled by Abu‘l-Qasim Ivughli Haydar. [[Isfahan]], 1682. [[Arthur M. Sackler Gallery]] |
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|Calligraphy in Shakastah Nasta‘liq (Library of the Golestan Palace, No. 1515).jpg|Calligraphy by [[Abdol Majid Taleqani]]. [[Golestan Palace]] Library |
|Calligraphy in Shakastah Nasta‘liq (Library of the Golestan Palace, No. 1515).jpg|Calligraphy by [[Abdol Majid Taleqani]]. [[Golestan Palace]] Library |
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|Plea for Tax Relief, folio from an album (HUAM 1958.212).jpg|Plea for tax relief copied by [[Mirza Kuchak Esfahani]]. Iran, |
|Plea for Tax Relief, folio from an album (HUAM 1958.212).jpg|Plea for tax relief copied by [[Mirza Kuchak Esfahani]]. Iran, 1795–1796. [[Harvard Art Museums]] |
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|Fath Ali Shah Qajar Firman in Shikasta Nastaliq script January 1831.jpg|[[Firman]] issued in the Name of [[Fath-Ali Shah Qajar]]. Iran, January 1831. [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] |
|Fath Ali Shah Qajar Firman in Shikasta Nastaliq script January 1831.jpg|[[Firman]] issued in the Name of [[Fath-Ali Shah Qajar]]. Iran, January 1831. [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]] |
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|Shakastah Nasta‘liq calligraphy, 1896 CE, Library of the Islamic Parliament of Iran, No. 13.jpg|Calligraphy by [[Ali Akbar Golestaneh]]. Iran, 1896. Library of the [[Islamic Consultative Assembly|Islamic Parliament of Iran]] |
|Shakastah Nasta‘liq calligraphy, 1896 CE, Library of the Islamic Parliament of Iran, No. 13.jpg|Calligraphy by [[Ali Akbar Golestaneh]]. Iran, 1896. Library of the [[Islamic Consultative Assembly|Islamic Parliament of Iran]] |
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{{Clear}} |
{{Clear}} |
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== Nastaliq typesetting == |
== ''Nastaliq'' typesetting == |
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⚫ | Modern {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} typography began with the invention of ''Noori Nastaleeq'' which was first created as a digital font in 1981 through the collaboration of [[Ahmed Mirza Jamil]] (as calligrapher) and [[Monotype Imaging]] (formerly Monotype Corp & Monotype Typography).<ref name="Interview with Mirza Ahmad Jamil">{{cite web|last=Khurshiq|first=Iqbal|title=زندگی آگے بڑھنے کا نام اور جمود موت ہے: نوری نستعلیق کی ایجاد سے خط نستعلیق کی دائمی حفاظت ہوگئی|date=17 November 2013|url=http://www.express.pk/story/197175/|publisher=Express|access-date=24 November 2013}}</ref> Although this employed over 20,000 ligatures (individually designed character combinations),<ref>[https://restofworld.org/2021/bringing-urdu-into-the-digital-age/ How to bring a language to the future], 9 Feb 2021</ref> it provided accurate results and allowed newspapers such as Pakistan's ''[[Daily Jang]]'' to use digital typesetting instead of an army of calligraphers. It suffered from two problems in the 1990s: its non-availability on standard platforms such as [[Microsoft Windows]] or [[Mac OS]], and the non-[[WYSIWYG]] nature of text entry, whereby the document had to be created by commands in Monotype's proprietary [[page description language]]. |
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{{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} typography first started with attempts to develop a metallic type for the script, but all such efforts failed. [[Fort William College]] developed a {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} Type, which was not close enough to {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} and hence was never used other than by the college library to publish its own books. The State of Hyderabad Dakan (now in India) also attempted to develop a {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} Typewriter but this attempt failed and the file was closed with the phrase "Preparation of {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} on commercial basis is impossible". Basically, in order to develop such a metal type, thousands of pieces would be required.{{Citation needed|reason=there is no reference / citation given for these statements |date=June 2017}} |
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⚫ | Modern {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} typography began with the invention of ''Noori Nastaleeq'' which was first created as a digital font in 1981 through the collaboration of [[Ahmed Mirza Jamil]] (as calligrapher) and [[Monotype Imaging]] (formerly Monotype Corp & Monotype Typography).<ref name="Interview with Mirza Ahmad Jamil">{{cite web|last=Khurshiq|first=Iqbal|title=زندگی آگے بڑھنے کا نام اور جمود موت ہے: نوری نستعلیق کی ایجاد سے خط نستعلیق کی دائمی حفاظت ہوگئی|date=17 November 2013|url=http://www.express.pk/story/197175/|publisher=Express|access-date=24 November 2013}}</ref> Although this |
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{{Gallery |
{{Gallery |
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| File:Miremad-1.jpg |
| File:Miremad-1.jpg |
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| Persian Chalipa panel, [[Mir Emad]]<br/> |
| Persian Chalipa panel, [[Mir Emad]]<br/> |
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In print: |
In print:<sup>[[#Nastaliq typesetting|[note]]]</sup> |
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{{rtl-para|fa|{{Nastaliq|1={{raise|1em|بودم به تو عمری و ترا سیر ندیدم<br/>از وصل تو هرگز به مرادی نرسیدم<br/>از بهر تو بیگانه شدم از همه خویشان<br/>وحشی صفت از خلق به یکبار بریدم|size=1.25em}}}}}} |
{{rtl-para|fa|{{Nastaliq|1={{raise|1em|بودم به تو عمری و ترا سیر ندیدم<br/>از وصل تو هرگز به مرادی نرسیدم<br/>از بهر تو بیگانه شدم از همه خویشان<br/>وحشی صفت از خلق به یکبار بریدم|size=1.25em}}}}}} |
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In [[Naskh (script)|Naskh]] styled typeface: |
In [[Naskh (script)|Naskh]] styled typeface: |
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| alt2= |
| alt2= |
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| File:Hafez Ghazal.jpg |
| File:Hafez Ghazal.jpg |
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| A [[couplet]] versified by the Persian poet [[Hafez]] in Nastaliq font (by Software), in print: |
| A [[couplet]] versified by the Persian poet [[Hafez]] in Nastaliq font (by Software), in print:<sup>[[#Nastaliq typesetting|[note]]]</sup> |
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{{rtl-para|1=fa|2={{nq|1={{raise|0.5em| |
{{rtl-para|1=fa|2={{nq|1={{raise|0.5em| |
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حافظ شیرازی<br/> |
حافظ شیرازی<br/> |
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=== InPage === |
=== InPage === |
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In 1994, [[InPage]] Urdu, which is a |
In 1994, [[InPage]] Urdu, which is a functional page layout software for Windows akin to [[QuarkXPress]], was developed for Pakistan's newspaper industry by an Indian software company Concept Software Pvt Ltd. It offered the ''Noori Nastaliq'' font licensed from Monotype Imaging. This font is still used in current versions of the software for Windows. As of 2009, [[InPage]] has become Unicode based, supporting more languages and the ''Faiz Lahori Nastaliq'' font with Kasheeda has been added to it along with compatibility with OpenType Unicode fonts. |
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=== Cross platform Nastaliq fonts === |
=== Cross platform Nastaliq fonts === |
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== Letter forms == |
== Letter forms == |
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The ''Nastaliq'' style uses more than three general forms for many letters,<ref>{{cite web|last1=FWP|title=Urdu: some thoughts about the script and grammar, and other general notes for students assembled from years of classroom notes by FWP|url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/urduscript/index.html|website=www.columbia.edu|access-date=28 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406004235/http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/urduscript/index.html|archive-date=2023-04-06}}</ref><ref name="Scanned table">{{cite web|title=The chart below gives the different positional variants of some of the significantly different letters. (scanned document)|url=http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/urduscript/graphics/naimchart.gif|website=Linked by www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/urduscript/section00.html#00_01|access-date=28 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230407145904if_/http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/urduscript/graphics/naimchart.gif|archive-date=2023-04-07|url-status=dead}}</ref> even in non-decorative documents. For example, most documents written in [[Urdu]].{{Clarify|date=April 2022}} |
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==In Unicode== |
==In Unicode== |
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{{see also|Arabic (Unicode block)}} |
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For Unicode, Nastaliq is considered to be merged into the [[Arabic script#Table of writing styles|Arabic script]]. |
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Nastaliq is not separately encoded in [[Unicode]] as it is a particular style of Arabic script and not a writing system in its own right. Nastaliq letterforms are produced by choosing a Nastaliq [[font]] to display the text. |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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* [http://www.faiznastaliq.com/ Faiz Nastaliq]: Official Faiz {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} site |
* [http://www.faiznastaliq.com/ Faiz Nastaliq]: Official Faiz {{transliteration|fa|Nastaliq}} site |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120608004825/http://www.calligraphyislamic.com/ Profiles and works of World Islamic calligraphy] {{in lang|fr}} |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120608004825/http://www.calligraphyislamic.com/ Profiles and works of World Islamic calligraphy] {{in lang|fr}} |
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* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100928182912/http://www.wegoiran.com/iran-information/iran-culture/nastaliq-script-persian-calligraphy.htm Nastaliq Script |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20100928182912/http://www.wegoiran.com/iran-information/iran-culture/nastaliq-script-persian-calligraphy.htm Nastaliq Script {{!}} Persian Calligraphy] |
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* [http://software.sil.org/awami/ Awami Nastaliq]: A Nastaliq font by SIL International |
* [http://software.sil.org/awami/ Awami Nastaliq]: A Nastaliq font by SIL International |
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{{Islamic calligraphy}} |
{{Islamic calligraphy}} |
Revision as of 00:27, 4 August 2024
Nastaliq نَسْتَعْلِیق | |
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![]() | |
Script type | |
Time period | 14th century AD – present |
Direction | Right-to-left[1] |
Languages | Classical Persian Kashmiri Punjabi (Shahmukhi) Urdu |
ISO 15924 | |
ISO 15924 | Aran (161), Arabic (Nastaliq variant) |
Part of a series on |
Calligraphy |
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Khatt-e_Nastaliq.jpg/220px-Khatt-e_Nastaliq.jpg)
The dotted form ڛ is used in place of س.
Nastaliq (/ˌnæstəˈliːk, ˈnæstəliːk/;[2] نستعلیق, Persian: [næstʰæʔliːq]; Urdu: [nəst̪ɑːliːq]), also romanized as Nastaʿlīq or Nastaleeq, is one of the main calligraphic hands used to write the Perso-Arabic script and it is used for some Indo-Iranian languages, predominantly Classical Persian, Kashmiri, Punjabi (Shahmukhi) and Urdu. It is often used also for Ottoman Turkish poetry, but rarely for Arabic. Nastaliq developed in Iran from naskh beginning in the 13th century[3][4] and remains widely used in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries for written poetry and as a form of art.[5]
History
The name Nastaliq "is a contraction of the Persian naskh-i ta'liq (Persian: نَسْخِ تَعلیق), meaning a hanging or suspended naskh."[6] Virtually all Safavid authors (like Dust Muhammad or Qadi Ahmad) attributed the invention of nastaliq to Mir Ali Tabrizi, who lived at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century. That tradition was questioned by Elaine Wright, who traced the evolution of Nastaliq in 14th-century Iran and showed how it developed gradually among scribes in Shiraz. According to her studies, nastaliq has its origin from naskh alone, and not by combining naskh and taliq, as was commonly thought. In addition to study of the practice of calligraphy, Elaine Wright also found a document written by Jafar Tabrizi c. 1430, according to whom:
It must be known that nastaʿliq is derived from naskh. Some Shirazi [scribes] modified it [naskh] by taking out the flattened [letter] kaf and straight bottom part of [the letters] sin, lam and nun. From other scripts they then brought in a curved sin and stretched forms and introduced variations in the thickness of the line. So a new script was created, to be named nastaʿliq. After a while Tabrizi [scribes] modified what Shirazi [scribes] had created by gradually rendering it thinner and defining its canons, until the time when Khwaja Mir ʿAli Tabrizi brought this script to perfection.[7]
Thus, "our earliest written source also credits Shirazi scribes with the development of nastaʿliq and Mir ʿAli Tabrizi with its canonization."[7] The picture of origin of nastaliq presented by Elaine Wright was further complicated by studies of Francis Richard, who on the basis of some manuscripts from Tabriz argued that its early evolution was not confined to Shiraz.[7] Finally, many authors point out that development of nastaʿliq was a process which takes a few centuries. For example, Gholam-Hosayn Yusofi, Ali Alparslan and Sheila Blair recognize gradual shift towards nastaʿliq in some 13th-century manuscripts.[4][8][9] Hamid Reza Afsari traces first elements of the style in 11th-century copies of Persian translations of the Qur'an.[10]
Persian differs from Arabic in its proportion of straight and curved letters. It also lacks the definite article al-, whose upright alif and lam are responsible for distinct verticality and rhythm of the text written in Arabic. Hanging scripts like taliq and nastaliq were suitable for writing Persian – when taliq was used for court documents, nastaliq was developed for Persian poetry, "whose hemistiches encourage the pile-up of letters against the intercolumnar ruling. Only later was it adopted for prose."[11]
The first master of nastaliq was aforementioned Mir Ali Tabrizi, who passed his style to his son ʿUbaydallah. The student of Ubaydallah, Jafar Tabrizi (d. 1431) (see quote above), moved to Herat, when he became the head of the scriptorium (kitabkhana) of prince Baysunghur (therefore his epithet Baysunghuri). Jafar trained several students in nastaliq, of whom the most famous was Azhar Tabrizi (d. 1475). Its classical form nastaliq achieved under Sultan Ali Mashhadi (d. 1520), a student of Azhar (or perhaps one of Azhar's students) who worked for Sultan Husayn Bayqara (1469–1506) and his vizier Ali-Shir Nava'i.[12] At the same time a different style of nastaliq developed in western and southern Iran. It was associated with ʿAbd al-Rahman Khwarazmi, the calligrapher of the Pir Budaq Qara Qoyunlu (1456–1466) and after him was followed by his children, ʿAbd al-Karim Khwarazmi and ʿAbd al-Rahim Anisi (both active at the court of Ya'qub Beg Aq Qoyunlu; 1478–1490). This more angular western Iranian style was largely dominant at the beginning of the Safavid era, but then lost to the style canonized by Sultan Ali Mashhadi – although it continued to be used in the Indian subcontinent.[10][13]
The most famous calligrapher of the next generation in eastern lands was Mir Ali Heravi (d. 1544), who was master of nastaliq, especially renowned for his calligraphic specimens (qitʿa). The eastern style of nastaliq became the predominant style in western Iran, as artists gravitated to work in Safavid royal scriptorium. The most famous of these calligraphers working for the court in Tabriz was Shah Mahmud Nishapuri (d. 1564/1565), known especially for the unusual choice of nastaliq as a script used for the copy of the Qur'an.[14] Its apogeum nastaliq achieved in writings of Mir Emad Hassani (d. 1615), "whose style was the model in the following centuries."[10] Mir Emad's successors in the 17th and 18th centuries had developed a more elongated style of nastaliq, with wider spaces between words. Mirza Mohammad Reza Kalhor (d. 1892), the most important calligrapher of the 19th century, reintroduced the more compact style, writing words on a smaller scale in a single motion. In the 19th century nastaliq was also adopted in Iran for lithographed books.[15] In the 20th century, "the use of nastaliq declined. After World War II, however, interest in calligraphy and above all in nastaliq revived, and some outstandingly able masters of the art have since then emerged."[4]
The use of nastaliq very early expanded beyond Iran. Timurids brought it to the India subcontinent and nastaliq became favorite script at the Persian court of the Mughals. For Akbar (1556–1605) and Jahangir (1605–1627) worked such famous masters of nastaliq as Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri (d. 1611/1612) and Abd al-Rahim Anbarin-Qalam. Another important practitioner of the script was Abd al-Rashid Daylami (d. 1671), nephew and student of Mir Emad, who after his arrival in India became court calligrapher of Shah Jahan (1628–1658). During this era Nastaliq became the common script for writing the Hindustani language, especially Standard Urdu.[16][17]
Nastaliq was also adopted in Ottoman Empire, which has always had strong cultural ties to Iran. Here it was known as taliq (Turkish talik), which should not be confused with Persian taliq script. First Iranian calligraphers who brought nastaliq to Ottoman lands, like Asadullah Kirmani (d. 1488), belonged to the western tradition. But relatively early Ottoman calligraphers adopted eastern style of nastaliq. In 17th century, student of Mir Emad, Darvish Abdi Bokharai (d. 1647), transplanted his style to Istanbul. The greatest master of nastaliq in 18th century was Mehmed Yasari (d. 1798), who closely followed Mir Emad. This tradition was further developed by son of Yasari, Mustafa Izzet (d. 1849), who was a real founder of distinct Ottoman school of nastaliq. He introduced new and precise proportions of the script, different than in Iranian tradition. The most important member of this school in the second half of the 19th century was Sami Efendi (d. 1912), who taught many famous practitioners of nastaliq, like Mehmed Nazif Bey (d. 1913), Mehmed Hulusi Yazgan (d. 1940) and Necmeddin Okyay (d. 1976). The specialty of Ottoman school was celî nastaliq used in inscriptions and mosque plates.[18][16][19]
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Opening page to a copy of Nizami's Khosrow and Shirin with calligraphy by Mir Ali Tabrizi. Tabriz, c. 1410. Freer Gallery of Art
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Opening page from a manuscript of Saʿdi's Gulistan copied by Jafar Tabrizi. Herat, 1426/27. Chester Beatty Library
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Page from a manuscript of Attar's Mantiq al-Tayr copied by Sultan Ali Mashhadi. Herat, dated 25 April 1487. Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Colophon to Nizami's Khamsa copied by ʿAbd al-Rahim Khwarazmi Anisi. Tabriz, 1481. Topkapı Palace Museum
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Rubaʿi copied by Mir Ali Heravi and later mounted in the so-called "Kevorkian Album". Bukhara, c. 1534. Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Opening double page from the Qur'an manuscript copied by Shah Mahmud Nishapuri, dated 12 June 1538. Topkapı Palace Museum
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Colophon from a manuscript of Nizami's Khamsa copied by Abd al-Rahim Anbarin-Qalam, dated 14 December 1595. British Library
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Page from a manuscript of Amir Khusrau's Khamsa copied by Muhammad Husayn Kashmiri and finished in the forty-second year of Akbar's reign (March 1597 – March 1598). Walters Art Museum
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Calligrapher's license with a rubaʿi copied by Mehmed Yasari from an exemplar by Mir Emad. Istanbul, 1754. Topkapı Palace Museum
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Levha (calligraphic inscription) by Sami Efendi. Istanbul, 1906. Sakıp Sabancı Museum
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Page from the muraqqa with Khaqani's ode on the Prophet copied by Mehmed Nazif Bey from an original by Mustafa Izzet. 20th century (before 1913). Sakıp Sabancı Museum
Shekasteh Nastaliq
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Chayyam_guyand_kasan_behescht_ba_hur_chosch_ast_small.png/220px-Chayyam_guyand_kasan_behescht_ba_hur_chosch_ast_small.png)
In print:
من میگویم که آب انگور خوش است
این نقد بگیر و دست از آن نسیه بدار
کاواز دهل شنیدن از دور خوش است
من میگویم که آب انگور خوش است
این نقد بگیر و دست از آن نسیه بدار
کاواز دهل شنیدن از دور خوش است
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Ghafeleye_Omr.svg/220px-Ghafeleye_Omr.svg.png)
In print:
Shekasteh or Shekasteh Nastaliq (Persian: شکسته نستعلیق, شکسته نستعلیق, "cursive Nastaliq" or literally "broken Nastaliq") style is a "streamlined" form of Nastaliq.[20] Its development is connected with the fact that "the increasing use of nastaʿlīq and consequent need to write it quickly exposed it to a process of gradual attrition."[4] The shekasteh nastaliq emerged in the early 17th century and differed from proper nastaliq only in so far as some of the letters were shrunk (shekasteh, lit. "broken") and detached letters and words were sometimes joined.[4] These unauthorized connections "mean that calligraphers can write shekasteh faster than any other script."[21] Manuscripts from this early period show signs of the influence of shekasteh taliq; while having the appearance of a shrunken form of nastaliq, they also contain features of taliq "due to their being written by scribes who had been trained in taʿlīq."[4] Shekasteh nastaliq (usually shortened to simply skehasteh), being more easily legible than taliq gradually replaced the latter as the script of decrees and documents. Later, it also came into use for writing prose and poetry.[4][21]
The first important calligraphers of shekasteh were Mohammad Shafiʿ Heravi (d. 1670–71) (he was known as Shafiʿa and hence shekasteh was sometimes called shafiʿa or shifiʿa) and Mortazaqoli Khan Shamlu (d. 1688–89). Both of them produced works of real artistic quality, which does not change the fact that in this early phase shekasteh still lacked consistency (it is especially visible in writing of Mortazaqoli Khan Shamlu). Most modern scholars consider that shekasteh reached its peak of artistic perfection under Abdol Majid Taleqani (d. 1771), "who gave the script its distinctive and definite form."[4] The tradition of Taleqani was later followed by Mirza Kuchek Esfahani (d. 1813),[22][23] Gholam Reza Esfahani (d. 1886–87)[24] and Ali Akbar Golestaneh (d. 1901).[25]
The added frills made shekasteh increasingly difficult to read and it remained the script of documents and decrees, "while nastaʿliq retained its pre-eminence as the main calligraphic style." The need for simplification of shekasteh resulted in development of secretarial style (shekasteh-ye tahriri) by writers like Adib-al-Mamalek Farahani (d. 1917) and Nezam Garrusi (d. 1900). The secretarial style is a simplified form of shekasteh which is faster to write and read, but less artistic. Long used in governmental and other institutions in Iran, shekasteh degenerated in the first half of the 20th century, but later again engaged the attention of calligraphers.[4][26] Shekasteh was used only in Iran and to a small extent in Afghanistan and Ottoman Empire. Its use in Afghanistan was different from the Persian norm and sometimes only as experimental devices (tafannon)[4][19]
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Calligraphy by Mohammad Shafiʿ Heravi. National Library of Iran
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Double page from the "Majmu‘a-i munsh‘at" – collection of correspondence sent by Persian rulers compiled by Abu‘l-Qasim Ivughli Haydar. Isfahan, 1682. Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
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Calligraphy by Abdol Majid Taleqani. Golestan Palace Library
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Plea for tax relief copied by Mirza Kuchak Esfahani. Iran, 1795–1796. Harvard Art Museums
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Calligraphy by Ali Akbar Golestaneh. Iran, 1896. Library of the Islamic Parliament of Iran
Nastaliq typesetting
Modern Nastaliq typography began with the invention of Noori Nastaleeq which was first created as a digital font in 1981 through the collaboration of Ahmed Mirza Jamil (as calligrapher) and Monotype Imaging (formerly Monotype Corp & Monotype Typography).[27] Although this employed over 20,000 ligatures (individually designed character combinations),[28] it provided accurate results and allowed newspapers such as Pakistan's Daily Jang to use digital typesetting instead of an army of calligraphers. It suffered from two problems in the 1990s: its non-availability on standard platforms such as Microsoft Windows or Mac OS, and the non-WYSIWYG nature of text entry, whereby the document had to be created by commands in Monotype's proprietary page description language.
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Persian Chalipa panel, Mir Emad
In print:[note]بودم به تو عمری و ترا سیر ندیدمIn Naskh styled typeface:
از وصل تو هرگز به مرادی نرسیدم
از بهر تو بیگانه شدم از همه خویشان
وحشی صفت از خلق به یکبار بریدمبودم به تو عمری و ترا سیر ندیدم
از وصل تو هرگز به مرادی نرسیدم
از بهر تو بیگانه شدم از همه خویشان
وحشی صفت از خلق به یکبار بریدم -
An example of the Nastaliq script used for writing Urdu.
Nastaliq:؎ کیا تنگ ہم ستم زدگان کا جہاں ہے
جس میں ایک بیضۂ مور آسماں ہے
Naskh:؎ کیا تنگ ہم ستم زدگان کا جہاں ہے
جس میں ایک بیضۂ مور آسماں ہے -
A couplet versified by the Persian poet Hafez in Nastaliq font (by Software), in print:[note]حافظ شیرازیin a Naskh styled typeface:
مرا عهدیست با جانان که تا جان در بدن دارم
هواداران کویش را چو جان خویشتن دارمحافظ شیرازی
مرا عهدیست با جانان که تا جان در بدن دارم
هواداران کویش را چو جان خویشتن دارم
InPage
In 1994, InPage Urdu, which is a functional page layout software for Windows akin to QuarkXPress, was developed for Pakistan's newspaper industry by an Indian software company Concept Software Pvt Ltd. It offered the Noori Nastaliq font licensed from Monotype Imaging. This font is still used in current versions of the software for Windows. As of 2009, InPage has become Unicode based, supporting more languages and the Faiz Lahori Nastaliq font with Kasheeda has been added to it along with compatibility with OpenType Unicode fonts.
Cross platform Nastaliq fonts
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Urdu_Typesetting_2020-05-30_003910.png/140px-Urdu_Typesetting_2020-05-30_003910.png)
- Windows 8 was the first version of Microsoft Windows to have native Nastaliq support, through Microsoft's "Urdu Typesetting" font.[29]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Noto_Nastaliq_2020-05-30_004037.png/140px-Noto_Nastaliq_2020-05-30_004037.png)
- Google has an open-source Nastaliq font called Noto Nastaliq Urdu.[30] Apple provides this font on all Mac installations since macOS High Sierra. Likewise, Apple has carried this font on iOS devices since iOS 11.[31]
- Awami Nastaliq features a more extensive character set than most Nastaliq typefaces, supporting: Urdu, Balochi, Persian, Khowar, Palula, Saraiki, Shina.[32]
- Amar Nastaleeq was created for web embedding on Urdu websites in 2013. The font was announced by Urdu poet Fahmida Riaz.[33]
Letter forms
The Nastaliq style uses more than three general forms for many letters,[34][35] even in non-decorative documents. For example, most documents written in Urdu.[clarification needed]
In Unicode
Nastaliq is not separately encoded in Unicode as it is a particular style of Arabic script and not a writing system in its own right. Nastaliq letterforms are produced by choosing a Nastaliq font to display the text.
See also
References
- ^ Akram, Qurat ul Ain; Hussain, Sarmad; Niazi, Aneeta; Anjum, Umair; Irfan, Faheem (April 2014). "Adapting Tesseract for Complex Scripts: An Example for Urdu Nastalique". 2014 11th IAPR International Workshop on Document Analysis Systems. 11th IAPR International Workshop on Document Analysis Systems. Tours, France: IEEE. pp. 191–195. doi:10.1109/DAS.2014.45. ISBN 978-1-4799-3243-6.
- ^ "Nastaliq". Lexico Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on March 28, 2022. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
- ^ Blair, p. xxii, 286.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Gholam-Hosayn Yusofi (December 15, 1990). "Calligraphy". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- ^ Atif Gulzar; Shafiq ur Rahman (2007). "Nastaleeq: A challenge accepted by Omega" (PDF). TUGboat. 29: 1–6.
- ^ Blair, p. 274.
- ^ a b c Blair, p. 275.
- ^ Ali Alparslan. "K̲h̲aṭṭ ii. In Persia". Encyclopaedia of Islam. doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0502.
- ^ Blair, p. xxii.
- ^ a b c Hamid Reza Afsari (17 June 2021). "Calligraphy". Encyclopaedia Islamica.
- ^ Blair, p. 276.
- ^ Blair, p. 277-280.
- ^ Blair, p. 284, 430.
- ^ Blair, p. 430-436.
- ^ Blair, p. 446-447.
- ^ a b Gholam-Hosayn Yusofi. "CALLIGRAPHY (continued)". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- ^ Blair, p. 536-539, 552-554.
- ^ Blair, p. 513-518.
- ^ a b Ali Alparslan. "NESTA'LİK". İslâm Ansiklopedisi.
- ^ Spooner, Brian; Hanaway, William L. (1995). Reading Nasta'liq: Persian and Urdu Hands from 1500 to the Present. p. 3. ISBN 978-1568592138.
- ^ a b Blair, p. 441.
- ^ Blair, p. 444-445.
- ^ Priscilla Soucek. "ʿABD-AL-MAJĪD ṬĀLAQĀNĪ". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- ^ Maryam Ekhtiar. "ḠOLĀM-REŻĀ ḴOŠNEVIS". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- ^ Maryam Ekhtiar. "GOLESTĀNA, ʿALI-AKBAR". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- ^ Blair, p. 445, 471.
- ^ Khurshiq, Iqbal (17 November 2013). "زندگی آگے بڑھنے کا نام اور جمود موت ہے: نوری نستعلیق کی ایجاد سے خط نستعلیق کی دائمی حفاظت ہوگئی". Express. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
- ^ How to bring a language to the future, 9 Feb 2021
- ^ "The evolving Story of Locale Support, part 9: Nastaleeq vs. Nastaliq? Either way, Windows 8 has got it!". MSDN Blogs. Retrieved 2013-03-24.
- ^ "Google Noto Fonts".
- ^ "Apple finally enables Nastaleeq typeface for Urdu keyboard in iOS 11". 23 September 2017.
- ^ "What is Special About Awami Nastaliq? - Awami Nastaliq". software.sil.org. 17 July 2017.
- ^ Riaz, fahmida (21 November 2013). "Amar Nastaleeq Font for Urdu Web Publishing". Twitter.com.
- ^ FWP. "Urdu: some thoughts about the script and grammar, and other general notes for students assembled from years of classroom notes by FWP". www.columbia.edu. Archived from the original on 2023-04-06. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
- ^ "The chart below gives the different positional variants of some of the significantly different letters. (scanned document)". Linked by www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00urdu/urduscript/section00.html#00_01. Archived from the original on 2023-04-07. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
Bibliography
- Blair, Sheila (2008). Islamic Calligraphy. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 978-0748612123.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Rumicode: Online Service For Nastaliq Calligraphy
- Nastaliq Online: Online Service For Nastaliq Calligraphy
- Iranian Calligraphers Association
- Nastaliq Writer for Macintosh by SIL
- InPage Urdu: Official InPage Urdu DTP software site
- Faiz Nastaliq: Official Faiz Nastaliq site
- Profiles and works of World Islamic calligraphy (in French)
- Nastaliq Script | Persian Calligraphy
- Awami Nastaliq: A Nastaliq font by SIL International