Laṭāʾif al-Kalām fī Aḥkām al-Aʿwām - Manuscript on Raml, Astrology, Zodiac and Planetary Prognostication - 1912

An interesting Persian handwritten manuscript entitled “Laṭāʾif al-Kalām fī Aḥkām al-Aʿwām” (لطائف الکلام فی احکام الاعوام), devoted to astrology, annual prognostication, the zodiac, planetary influences and their application in the traditional science of raml, or Islamic geomancy.

The manuscript contains numerous hand-drawn geomantic figures, calculation schemes, diagrams and ruled tables. Several pages present combinations of the traditional geomantic signs used for interpretation and prognostication. The accompanying Persian text explains the relevant rules, relationships and methods of calculation. The work also discusses the zodiacal signs (burūj), planets and celestial bodies (kawākib), their movements and their supposed influence upon events and particular years.

The text is handwritten in black ink in a fluent Persian cursive hand, principally a rapid nastaʿlīq tending towards shikasta-nastaʿlīq. The tables and geomantic figures are also drawn entirely by hand.

A particularly interesting physical feature is the paper. The manuscript is written on traditional cream-coloured laid paper bearing a visible watermark, probably originating from imported European-manufactured paper of the type widely used in Iran during the Qajar period. The watermark is clearly visible on one of the photographed leaves; however, its precise manufacturer and place of production have not been identified.

Several passages bear the date 1331 AH, corresponding approximately to 1912–1913 CE and the late Qajar period.

The manuscript retains its traditional brown leather wallet-style binding, with an integral fore-edge flap and leather fastening element. The binding shows extensive surface rubbing, scratches, creasing, discolouration and wear along the edges, consistent with its age and prolonged practical use.