Subject Rubrics

The subject headings below are descriptive of the content of individual manuscripts as identified by the several catalogers of these collections. Since these are largely Islamic libraries our manuscript classification system is mainly based on the Islamic disciplines/sciences, but occasionally the same or similar material may appear under more than one broad rubric, following the best judgment of different catalogers. Cross-references to the most common double or triple listings of a subject appear below. Three topics that would not appear among the Islamic disciplines have been added: "politics," "economy" and "social matters" largely to incorporate correspondence and other writings that fall outside the Islamic sciences.

The subject list below is not comprehensive, and some of the more detailed descriptors for individual manuscripts are indicated to provide users with a flavor of the range of material within particular rubrics. The approximate number of records in AMMS for each general subject area (effective 6/08) is: