Persian manuscript painting is traditionally examined for its aesthetic and stylistic features. However, illustrations also possess a crucial documentary dimension, preserving traces of social life and material culture often absent from official texts and documents. This study examines the rare Bodleian Sharafnāma (MS. Elliott 332) to explore how its illustrations reconstruct the everyday realities of Kurdish communities in Bidlīs during the culturally transformative Safavid era. By adopting a qualitative, descriptive-analytical approach, this research utilizes microhistorical frameworks to treat images as “unwitting witnesses,” providing historical data frequently excluded from standard, state-centered written accounts. The investigation analyzes selected scenes—including depictions of the Āmid medical school, hunting expeditions, and various architectural views—against thematic categories such as attire, local identity, rituals, and domestic spaces. By interpreting these visual details, the study uncovers aspects of late sixteenth-century Kurdish society, including regional craftsmanship, healing practices, and social interactions, which are largely undocumented in textual sources.

The research argues that the Sharafnāma should not be viewed merely as a decorative narrative accompaniment but as a primary visual source for social history. Findings demonstrate that these detailed illustrations function as dynamic historical documents, enabling a deeper understanding of material and social realities. Ultimately, this work highlights the methodological significance of reading images as evidence, offering an alternative historiography that prioritizes the lived experience of marginalized and underrepresented regional communities. By shifting the focus from courtly aesthetics to socio-material documentation, this study validates the critical role of interdisciplinary visual analysis in filling significant gaps within the existing historical record.