Book of Gifts and Rarities

This work is a translation and study of a ninth- through fifteenth-century manuscript, a selection from a medieval book, "Kitab al-Hadaya wa al-Tuhaf" (Book of Gifts and Rarities), edited by M. Hamidullah. The manuscript furnishes a wealth of varied information offering insights into the period immediately preceding Islam and extending through the first four centuries of Islamic rule. The book provides valuable information on "gifts" exchanged on various occasions between Islamic rulers and t…