Review of Tarqime in Several Manuscripts of Rumi's Masnavi

Tarqime or colophon which is referred to by modern scribes as “'anjame”, “payane” and “dastine” is one of the most important elements of a manuscript. If we simulate a manuscript to a human body, tarqime stands for the leg of it (i.e. the manuscript). Tarqime is a document or contract which introduces the geographical and cultural features of a manuscript. It is like a passport by the credit of which a manuscript can go everywhere at every time to every library round the world. We can release a manuscript from obscurity with the assistance of Tarqime. We can find the name of the scribe, the date and the place of the writing of the manuscript and the name of the patron. Millions of Persian manuscripts are kept in the libraries, lacking a date or Tarqime, without which they remain obscure. Therefore, we can say that Tarqime is crucial in showing the importance and value of the manuscript and scribism.