al-Bayzara

Kitab al-Bayzara (The Book of Falconry) is a classical Arabic treatise on falconry, hunting raptors, and avian veterinary medicine composed in the 4th century AH (10th century CE) by Bazyar al-Aziz al-Fatimi (the master falconer of the Fatimid Caliph al-Aziz bi-llah) Fusul fi al-Thaqafa wa al…+1. It is considered one of the earliest and most detailed specialized Arabic manuals preserved on the care, training, and treatment of birds of prey Fusul fi al-Thaqafa wa al…+1.

Authorship and Historical Context

The text was written for the fifth Fatimid caliph, al-Aziz bi-llah (r. 365–386 AH / 975–996 CE), who had an intense passion for the hunt, engaging in venery with raptors, predatory animals, and snares Fusul fi al-Thaqafa wa al…+1. The author's personal name is omitted in the manuscript text, though bibliographical sources suggest he may have been Abu Abd Allah al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn Ashaer al-Iraq+1.

In the autobiographical remarks at the conclusion of the work, the author describes his lifelong attachment to the Fatimid court: he entered the caliph's service as an eleven-year-old boy without any personal wealth, was personally trained and patronized by the caliph, and was eventually elevated to head the royal falconers (muqaddam al-bayazira), with an iqta' (land grant) reaching twenty thousand dinars al-Masalik wa al-Mamalik …+1. The author notes that he composed the book after spending twenty years actively managing raptors and directing hunting expeditions, during which large shipments of raptors arrived regularly at the court from the Islamic East and West, including as many as one hundred goshawks in a single night Majallat al-Risala.

Structure and Contents

The work is organized into two primary treatises (maqalas) comprising a total of 115 chapters Majallat al-Muqtabas+1:

• The First Treatise (52 chapters): Focuses on the history and origins of hunting with raptors, anatomical and behavioral classifications of hunting birds, distinguishing males from females, discerning physical traits of superior and defective birds, and techniques for training, taming (riyada), and dispatching them on prey Majallat al-Muqtabas+1. The author covers goshawks (buza), sparrowhawks (bawashiq), true falcons (suqur), peregrines (shawahin), and eagles (uqban) Majallat al-Risala+1. He includes specialized techniques, such as a chapter on hunting waterfowl by moonlight with goshawks and sparrowhawks, which he claims was unprecedented in earlier books on falconry al-Bayzara.
• The Second Treatise (63 chapters): Devoted to veterinary medicine for hunting birds, describing their diseases, diagnoses derived from their droppings (dharq), physical injuries, molting management (qarnasa), and compound pharmacological recipes for treatments Majallat al-Muqtabas+1.

The text opens directly with the first subject matter, lacking the customary basmala, hamdala, or formal introduction Majallat al-Muqtabas. Throughout the text, the author references and quotes earlier authorities on falconry and animal traits, including Roman, Persian, and Turkish traditions, as well as Galen and earlier Arab lore Majallat al-Muqtabas+1.

Manuscripts and Publication

A late manuscript of the text was discovered in Damascus by the bookseller and scholar Hamdi al-Safarjalani, copied in 1201 AH by Mulamit ibn Abd Allah al-Tarafi Fusul fi al-Thaqafa wa al…+1. Other copies and fragments include an early manuscript preserved in the Chester Beatty Library (MS 3831), dated to the 4th century AH, and a photographic copy at the National Library of Egypt (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya) Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al….

The text was edited by Muhammad Kurd Ali and published in Damascus by the Arab Scientific Academy (al-Majma' al-Ilmi al-Arabi) in 1372 AH / 1953 CE (also cited as 1371 AH / 1952 CE) Ashaer al-Iraq+1.