60 A Covenant of '•' Ali, fourth Caliph of Baghdad. [No. 1, 



A Covenant of 'Ali, fourth Caliph of Baghd&d, granting certain Immu- 

 nities and Privileges to the Armenian nation. — By Johannes 

 Avdall, Esq., M. A. S. 



[Received 23rd September, 1869.] 



An authentic historical document is extant, originally written in 

 Cnfic characters, and purporting to be an Edict or Covenant of 'Ali, 

 the Lion of God, fourth Caliph of Baghdad, and son-in-law of the Pro- 

 phet, bestowing certain immunities and privileges on the Armenian 

 nation. The Edict was given in the year of the Hijrah 40, or A. D. 660, 

 just a year before 'All's death. It was first translated into Armenian 

 by Gregor Campan, on the 15th January 1767, in Astrachan, and 

 afterwards by M. Saragian, authenticated by Joakim Gregor Bagratuni 

 of Constantinople in the year 1804. 



I was in possession of a copy of the original document, written in 

 Cufic characters, which I lent some years ago to the late Henry Torrens, 

 Esq., Vice-President of the Asiatic Society, for translation and 

 insertion in the Journal. It appears that this rare piece of antiquity 

 was lost or mislaid among his unpublished papers. The following is a 

 correct and faithful version from the Armenian translation of the Edict 

 or Covenant of the Caliph 'Ali. 



In the name op God, the beneficent and the merciful from 

 whom we solicit help. 



" Praise and thanksgiving to the Creator of the univei*se, and 

 blessings upon the great chief and benign Muhammad and his sacred 

 tribe. 



" After all this, it is the purport of the translation of the Covenant, 

 which was written by Hashim, the son of Athap,* the son of Valas,* 

 according to the command of the blessed chief of the Arabians, and 

 of the Lion of God, of the holy of the holies, of 'Ali, the grandson 

 of Abutalib, the exalted, in Cufic character, in the celebrated domicile 

 of Kharanthala,*' in the magnificent palace, in the month of pafar, 

 in the fortieth year of Hijrah.f 



" Whereas certain of the Armenian nation, men of distinction, famous 

 for their erudition and honoured for their dignity, namely, Jacob 



* So in the Armenian text. For Hashim the Armenian has Hdsliam, ac- 

 cording to the Persian pronunciation of all Arabic Part. Present. 

 f June, July, 660. 



