Binning, Robert Blair Munro, 1814-1891 (Linguist; East India Company Official, Madras Civil Service)
Dates
- Existence: 1814 - 1891
Biography
Robert Blair Munro Binning was the third son of David Monro of Softlaw (who by deed of entail assumed the surname and arms of Binning), by his second wife Isabella Blair. Binning had a career as an administrator in the East India Company Service in Madras. He was an enthusiastic linguist in Arabic, Persian and Hindi, in the pursuance of which he collected many manuscripts and other examples of the use of these languages, and published A grammar, with a selection of dialogues and familiar phrases, and a short vocabulary in modern Arabic, edited by Fletcher Hayes, in 1849. He travelled in the Cape of Good Hope, the Levant, Arabian peninsula and Egypt in 1845-1847, but had to quit his post for health reasons in 1850. For the next two years he travelled again, in Ceylon [Sri Lanka] and Persia [Iran], which he described in his published Journal of two years' travel in Persia, Ceylon, etc., (2 volumes, London: 1857). Binning bequethed his substantial book and manuscript collection to New College, Edinburgh, and Edinburgh University Library.
Found in 6 Collections and/or Records:
Or Ms 151: القرآن al-Qur’ān, undated
A complete copy of the Qur'an. Written in extremely small but clear script.
First two pages richly illuminated in gold and colour.
Or Ms 161: الآثار الباقيه عن القرون الخاليه al-Āthār al-bāqiyah ‘an al-qurūn al-khāliyah, 707 A.H., 1307 C.E.
Or Ms 284: کلّيات سعدی Kulliyyāt-i Sa‘dī, 1065 A.H., 1654 C.E.
The complete works of one of the most celebrated of Persian poets Sa'dī of Shiraz, 606-691 A.H. (1210-1291-2 C.E.).
The titles and frontispieces are illuminated, illuminated lines round the pages.
Or Ms 287: بوستان و گلستان با تصویر Būstān va Gulistān (bā taṣvīr), undated copy (original text composed 13th cent. C.E.)
Or Ms 373: قطعات خوش خط Qiṭ‘āt-i khūshkhaṭṭ, undated
Or Ms 374: تصاوير Taṣāwīr, undated
Filtered By
- Subject: Illuminated manuscripts X