This article deals with an 1849 semi-autobiographical manuscript, ‘Ishqnama, from Avadh (present-day Uttar Pradesh), to explore the courtly politics of the last nawab (ruler) of Avadh, Wajid ‘Ali Shah. I argue that, in the ‘Ishqnama, a language of love and sex exists and portends a logic of political comportment and control between ruler and lover, ruler and servant. After surveying the importance and meaning of the manuscript during Wajid ‘Ali Shah's reign, I examine the dissemination of the handwritten manuscript via lithograph copies, tracing the specific textual and visual elements that have been obfuscated and manipulated in the transition from a handwritten design to print technology. I argue that the political content of the ‘Ishqnama has been neglected because of the material differences between the lithograph copies and the manuscript format and because of the sexual nature of the ‘Ishqnama narrative.

中文翻译：

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快乐的政治：Wajid 'Ali Shah 和他的手稿，'Ishqnama

本文处理的是 1849 年的半自传手稿，'伊什克纳马，来自 Avadh（今北方邦），探索 Avadh 的最后一位 nawab（统治者）Wajid 'Ali Shah 的宫廷政治。我认为，在'伊什克纳马，爱与性的语言存在，预示着统治者与情人、统治者与仆人之间的政治礼仪和控制逻辑。在调查了瓦吉德·阿里·沙阿统治期间手稿的重要性和意义之后，我通过石版印刷检查了手稿的传播，追踪了在从手写设计到印刷的过渡过程中被混淆和操纵的特定文本和视觉元素技术。我认为这本书的政治内容'伊什克纳马由于平版印刷副本和手稿格式之间的物质差异以及由于性的性质而被忽视'伊什克纳马叙述。