[Iran]. PERSIAN MANUSCRIPT. [Educational manuscript on the g - Lot 238

[Iran]. PERSIAN MANUSCRIPT. [Educational manuscript on the geopolitics of Iran]. [Iran], 1318 H. - 1900. A 22 pp. manuscript (including 2 full-page colored maps), on [12 ff.] in-4 (26 x 22 cm) joined with a red ribbon, verso of leaves in two columns, text in nastaliq, black and red ink, gilt framing (first bifeuillet detached). Beautiful illustrated manuscript. Most probably intended for educational purposes and reflecting the geopolitics of Iran at the end of the 19th century, it was produced by a certain Muhammad Barakah in 1318 A.H., year 1900 (according to the colophon). It consists of 22 numbered pages. The first page features a decorative flowery vignette, highlighted in turquoise and gold, with a medallion depicting a camel between two palm trees, surmounted by a verse from the Qur'an. Below the vignette is a dedication to Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar (1853-1907). The book includes two hand-drawn maps, annotated in Persian, illustrating the geopolitical and commercial networks stretching from Europe and Africa to Central and East Asia in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first map focuses on the Middle East and Persia. It depicts the caravan routes and railroads linking Istanbul, Baghdad, Teheran, the Persian Gulf and India. The second highlights the entire Afro-Eurasian space, from the Mediterranean to the Caspian Sea. It highlights the connections between East and West, via the Trans-Siberian route, the Silk Road and the sea routes through the Suez Canal. Together, these maps reflect Iran's strategic position as a crossroads of imperial rivalries and global trade.