Biographies, legends, histories of martyrs, and the like are legion. Most of the bio graphies of the prophet, however, are taken from the Arabic.
Little is to be said of Persian productions on special branches of exact science. There are a few works on geography—more generally treated together with history— such as those of Mestafi, Ahmln Ahmed Rasi, Berdshendi, etc. In theology, little beyond translations of the Koran, and a few commentaries on single chapters, and of some portions of the Traditions (Sunnah), has been produceff—the Arab works being completely sufficient, iu religious matters, for all Mohammedans. For the history of early Persian religion are of importance the Ulemai Islam and the Dabistan, a description of all the creeds of the east. Jurisprudence has likewise to show little that is original, and not mere translation, partial commentary, or adaptation in Persian. The Hedadshah, the Inadshah, the Flamed Alemgiri, are the most important legal works to be mentioned here. A greal deal has been done in the.field of medicine, surgery, pharmacy, physical sciences, by Persians; but nearly all their chief works being written in Arabic, they do not concern us here. Mathematics, astronomy, and .philosophy have received due
attention: rhetoric, the art of letter-writing, metrical and poetical arts, have likewise been cultivated with great assiduity, but few standard works areto be enumerated. Grammar and lexicography found their principal devotees in India; and of dictionaries. the Ferhengi-Skiuri, Burhani Latin, and principally the Heft Kukgm (the seven seas), by the sultan of Oude, deserve attention. Translations from Greek, Indian, Arabic, Turkish, and other works into Persian, exist in great abundance, and some of them have paved the way to the knowlege of the original sources in Europe. Chief authorities and writers on the subject of Persian language and literature are Meninsky, Richardson, Lunisden, Forbes, Ibrahim De Lacy, Ilammer-Purgstall, Briggs, Jones, Duperron, Stewart, Quatremere, Wilken, Defremery, Vullers, iken, Kosegarten, Ouseley, Chodzko, Bland, Sprenger, Graff, Brockhaus, Dorn.