Abstract
Translated and edited by Rashīd ud-Dīn Fażl Allāh Hamidānī, a statesman in Ilkhanate-ruled Iran, Tanksūqnāmah is a four-volume book about Chinese science and technology. Currently, only Volume One—respecting Chinese medical science—survives. As the first book on Chinese traditional medicine translated into the Persian language, Tanksūqnāmah provides rich and invaluable first-hand information to those who conduct research on cultural and medical science exchanges between China and West Asia during the Middle Ages. Tanksūqnāmah recorded the complete, basic rhymed verses of Wang Shuhe Maijue (The title in Chinese is 《王叔和脉诀》. Hereinafter known as Maijue.) (The Pulse Rhymes of Wang Shuhe), an ancient Chinese literature on sphygmology. In the book, each verse was translated into Persian, and annotations by eminent Chinese physicians were also included. Due to the loss of the original copy of Maijue and some historical annotations, it becomes obvious that the translation, compilation, and study of Tanksūqnāmah will yield significant reference value in aiding the restoration of the original text of Maijue. Using ancient Chinese medicine literature as a reference point, this essay attempts to make a comparative study and analysis of certain passages of Maijue as written in Tanksūqnāmah.
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Notes
- 1.
The IJMES transliteration system has been used to transliterate the Persian and Arabic scripts. Words with Arabic vocabularies and articles are transliterated according to the corresponding pronunciation principles of hurūf shamsiyya and hurūf qamariyya.
- 2.
Hereinafter known as Tanksūqnāmah.
- 3.
Unless otherwise stated, all years are expressed as Common Era.
- 4.
The title in Chinese is《通真子补注王叔和脉诀》(Tong Zhenzi Buzhu Wang Shuhe Maijue).
- 5.
The title in Chinese is《脉诀注解》(Maijue Zhujie).
- 6.
The title in Chinese is《脉诀集解》(Maijue Jijie).
- 7.
The title in Chinese is 《决脉精要》(Juemai Jingyao).
- 8.
The title in Chinese is 《洁古老人注王叔和脉诀》(Jiegu laoren Zhu Wang Shuhe Maijue).
- 9.
The title in Chinese is 《王叔和脉诀图要俗解大全》(Wang Shuhe Maijue Tuyao Sujie Daquan).
- 10.
The title in Chinese is 《脉诀刊误》(Maijue Kanwu).
- 11.
The title in Chinese is 《纂图方论脉诀集成》. Alternatively it is known as Chando Banglon Magkyul Jipseong (Korean Romanization).
- 12.
The title in Chinese is 《南阳活人书》(Nanyang Huoren Shu).
- 13.
The title in Chinese is 《伤寒杂病论》(Shanghan Zabing Lun).
- 14.
The title in Chinese is 《难经》aka《黄帝八十一难经》(Nanjing aka Huangdi Bashiyi Na jing).
- 15.
The title in Chinese is 《黄帝八十一难经注》(Huangdi Bashiyi Nanjing Zhu).
- 16.
The title in Chinese is 《玉函经》(Yuhan Jing).
- 17.
The title in Chinese is《本草拾遗》(Bencao Shiyi).
- 18.
The title in Chinese is《御药院方》(Yuyaoyuan Fang).
- 19.
It is possible that this individual was Northern Song physician Yu Shu in Northern Song and author of The Canon of Eighty-one Difficult Issues with Annotations by Yu Shu (《虞庶注难经》 or Yu Shu Zhu Nanjing).
- 20.
The title in Chinese is《素问》(Suwen).
- 21.
The title in Chinese is《病源》aka《诸病源候论》(Bingyuan aka Zhu Bìngyuan Hou Lun).
- 22.
The title in Chinese is《千金方》(Qianjin Fang).
- 23.
The title in Chinese is 《甲乙经》 aka 《黄帝三部针灸甲乙经》(Jiayi Jing aka Huangdi Sanbu Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing).
- 24.
Hereinafter known as Tong Zhenzi.
- 25.
Hereinafter known as Xiong Zongli.
- 26.
aka Chi Rong.
- 27.
aka Li Jiong.
- 28.
aka Liu Yuanbin.
- 29.
aka Northern Song medical expert Zhu Gong.
- 30.
aka Chi Rong.
- 31.
aka Li.
- 32.
aka Du Guangting.
- 33.
aka Li Minshou.
- 34.
Known as Zuoyoushou Zhenmai Ge in Tong Zhenzi.
- 35.
Known as Zhen Sishi Bing Wuxing Xiangke Mai Ge in Tong Zhenzi.
- 36.
Known as Yangdu Hou Ge in Tong Zhenzi.
- 37.
Known as Yindu Hou Ge in Tong Zhenzi.
- 38.
Known as Zhu Zabing Shengsi Hou Ge in Tong Zhenzi.
- 39.
Known as Chase Guanbing Shengsi Hou Ge in Tong Zhenzi.
- 40.
It refers to a single-line rhymed verse, or half of a pair of double-line rhymed verse.
- 41.
Kalamachī or foreign language translator was the original term used in the Persian manuscript. Yi Qiqi (approx. 1327–1390), a scholar in the late Yuan and early Ming period, gave the term a Chinese translation, “怯里马赤” in his book, Caomu Zi.
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Shi, G. (2020). Wang Shuhe Maijue in Iran. In: Li, X. (eds) Non-Han Literature Along the Silk Road. Silk Road Research Series. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9644-1_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9644-1_3
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