Uns al-Malla bi-Wahsh al-Fala
- Author died
- 784 AH
- Editions
- Uns al-Malla bi-Wahsh al-Fala
Uns al-Malla bi-Wahsh al-Fala (The Entertainment of the Assembly with the Wild Beasts of the Desert) is a 14th-century Arabic treatise on cynegetics, falconry, and the lawful rulings of hunting, authored by the Mamluk military officer Muhammad ibn Mankali (d. 784 AH / 1382 CE).
Author and Context
The author, Jalal al-Din Muhammad ibn Mahmud ibn Mankali al-Qahiri al-Misri (whose death is also reported as 778 AH / 1376 CE or after 770 AH), was an expert in military sciences and venery who served as the marshal of the army (naqib al-jaysh) in Cairo during the reign of the Mamluk Sultan al-Ashraf Sha'ban. Drawing upon classical Arabic cynegetic literature, oral traditions from fellow hunters, and his personal sporting experiences in Egypt and Syria, Ibn Mankali compiled the work as a concise manual for practitioners and connoisseurs of the hunt.
Structure and Contents
The book opens with an introductory prayer beginning with the words: «الحمد لله حمد عبدٍ بخطئه معترف، ومن فيض فضل ربه مغترف» ("Praise be to God, the praise of a servant who confesses his faults and draws from the overflow of his Lord’s grace"). Ibn Mankali outlines his intent to cover the methods of capturing game along with what is religiously permissible and prohibited.
The material encompasses several major themes:
- Jurisprudence of hunting: The opening chapter examines the legal parameters of hunting and the requirements of ritual slaughter (tadhkiya) under the school of Abu Hanifa, grounded in the relevant Quranic verses.
- Birds of prey and falconry (bayzara): The text classifies hunting birds, starting with eagles, which the author divides into seven varieties and colors, noting their prime habitats across Syria, Mosul, Sinjar, Nisibis, Mardin, and Diyar Bakr. It also details the training, diseases, and moulting (qarnasah) of sparrowhawks based on Ibn Mankali's experience keeping them in Cairo, as well as the specialized use of the nawhi raven for hunting hares. Additional passages classify bird plumage and flight feathers.
- Big game and desert animals: Ibn Mankali provides tactical instructions for mounted hunters engaging lions and wild boars, describing specific archery equipment (yasaj arrows) and curved sabers (sayf qilijuri). He covers techniques for chasing onagers (humur wahshiyya), wild cattle (na'aj al-raml), ostriches, and gazelles using packs of hunting dogs such as Salukis and Zaghwani hounds paired with falcons.
- Fishing and aquatic game: The treatise addresses night fishing and catching saltwater fish using lamps, nets, and baited enclosures, invoking the Quranic allowance: أحل لكم صيد البحر وطعامه ("Lawful to you is the game of the sea and its food").
Transmission and Modern Editions
Manuscripts of Uns al-Malla bi-Wahsh al-Fala are preserved in several collections, including the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris (MS 2834) and the Khedivial Library in Cairo. The work was published in Paris in 1880 alongside a French translation, and later received an Arabic edition published in Amman in 1993.
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