al-Tali al-Said al-Jami Asma Nujaba al-Said
- Author died
- 748 AH
- Editions
- al-Dar al-Misriyyah lil-Ta'lif wal-Nashr
al-Tali al-Said al-Jami Asma Nujaba al-Said (The Auspicious Ascendant: Compendium of the Names of the Notables of Upper Egypt) is a regional biographical dictionary written by the Shafi'i scholar and historian Kamal al-Din al-Adfawi (685–748 AH / 1286–1348 CE), dedicated to the scholars, transmitters, and prominent cultural figures of Upper Egypt.
Background and Composition
Al-Adfawi composed the work at the suggestion of his teacher Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati to document the scholarly and literary culture of Upper Egyptian centers such as Qus, Aswan, and Isna. Abu Hayyan subsequently heard the book read by al-Adfawi and praised him in verse. It is considered by bibliographers to be the last of al-Adfawi's works, in which he references his earlier writings.
The author noted at the end of the text that he finished the initial compilation in 738 AH (1337–1338 CE) and added entries up to 740 AH (1339–1340 CE). However, he continued revising and inserting entries until shortly before his death in 748 AH (1347–1348 CE), including a biography for al-Zubayr ibn Ali al-Aswani, who died in Rabi al-Awwal 748 AH.
The title appears in manuscript copies and sources with minor variations, including al-Tali al-Said al-Jami li-Asma Nujaba al-Said, al-Tali al-Said fi Tarikh al-Said, and in the Taymuriyya manuscript as al-Jami Asma al-Fudala wa-al-Ruwat bi-A'la al-Said.
Scope and Structure
The book is the earliest biographical dictionary dedicated exclusively to Upper Egypt. It focuses on the notable figures connected with the province of Qus and its surrounding towns, villages, and dependencies. As stated in his introduction, al-Adfawi restricted the dictionary primarily to deceased figures, mentioning living persons only for specific reasons.
The work is organized into two primary components:
- Geographical Introduction: Al-Adfawi prefaces the biographies with a detailed survey of Upper Egypt's geography, administrative divisions, and urban topography. He describes the region's length as twelve days of ordinary camel travel, divided by the Nile into an eastern and a western province (kūrah), extending eastward toward the Red Sea and westward toward the oases. He provides particular detail on Qus, the administrative seat of the region, noting that it contained forty sugar refineries and six cane presses, alongside descriptions of Aswan, Qift, and other towns.
- Biographical Dictionary: The biographies are arranged alphabetically by given name. The author occasionally deviated from strict alphabetical sequencing in the ordering of both personal names and patronymics—such as placing Khalaf before Khadijah, or placing Uthman ahead of Atiq.
Reception and Impact
The work is recognized as a primary repository for the intellectual history of Upper Egypt, preserving numerous original biographies and historical details that do not survive elsewhere. The historian al-Maqrizi praised it as a valuable work containing unique benefits and entries, and drew heavily upon it for his own writings.
It served as a major reference for subsequent Mamluk and Ottoman historians and biographers, including al-Safadi (in al-Wafi bi-al-Wafayat and Nakt al-Himyan), Ibn Kathir (in al-Bidayah wa-al-Nihayah), Taj al-Din al-Subki (in Tabaqat al-Shafi'iyyah al-Kubra), Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (in al-Durar al-Kaminah), Ibn Taghribirdi (in al-Nujum al-Zahirah), Ibn Duqmaq (in al-Intisar), and al-Suyuti (in Husn al-Muhadarah). It was also recorded in biographical indexes such as Tashkubrizadah's Miftah al-Sa'adah and Hajji Khalifa's Kashf al-Zunun.
Critical Editions
The book was critically edited by Sa'd Muhammad Hasan and published in Cairo by al-Dar al-Misriyyah li-al-Ta'lif in 1386 AH / 1966 CE.
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