Kharita: the royal art of letter dispatching. Issue 1 (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zeir, Ula
• Is Part Of: Afghanistan. Volume 2:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 141
• Page End: 152
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: Abdul Rahman Khan -- dar al-inshaʾ -- kharita -- silk pouch -- bobbinet cotton pouch -- illumination -- John Dickinson -- Curzon -- East India Company -- seal; Afghanistan -- Periodicals; Afghanistan -- History -- Periodicals; Afghanistan -- Antiquities -- Periodicals; 958.1
• DOI: 10.3366/afg.2019.0030
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2399-357X

Abstract

Abstract : The practice of dispatching kharita had been part of the royal correspondence of Muslim rulers for centuries, particularly in Persia and India. Originating from Arabic, the term kharita refers to a pouch fabricated from leather or silk, or possibly other material. Although the dictionary definition applies to the pouch itself, the act of sending a kharita indicates that a royal letter is placed inside the pouch. Therefore, a kharita is the pouch and its contents. The article examines one particular kharita (Mss Eur F111/361, ff 2–5 at the British Library). The study identifies the elements that comprise the kharita item, and make it a piece of royal art.