The Surviving Manuscripts of Mian Muḥammad Ḥusayn Sialvī (d. 1986) .... An Introductory Survey

Abstract

This paper offers a glimpse into the personal library of Mian Muḥammad Ḥusayn Sialvī (d. 1406/1986), a respected scholar from Sial Sharif in District Sargodha. His collection once held a rich collection of rare manuscripts in Persian, Arabic, and Punjabi, spanning subjects such as Islamic sciences, Sufism, poetry, and traditional medicine, reflecting his wide-ranging intellectual and spiritual interests. Educated in Delhi at Tibbiya College, Mian Muḥammad Ḥusayn developed a lifelong connection with classical learning. Although much of his library was lost in the devastating flood of 1992, over thirty manuscripts have survived and are now carefully preserved by the present author. This paper introduces these remaining texts, along with a supplementary list of rare books and lithographs, to highlight the enduring historical and scholarly significance of this overlooked private collection.