Description
Book SynopsisNasrin Askari explores the medieval reception of Firdausī’s Shāhnāma, or Book of Kings (completed in 1010 CE) as a mirror for princes. Through her examination of a wide range of medieval sources, Askari demonstrates that Firdausī’s oeuvre was primarily understood as a book of wisdom and advice for kings and courtly elites. In order to illustrate the ways in which the Shāhnāma functions as a mirror for princes, Askari analyses the account about Ardashīr, the founder of the Sasanian dynasty, as an ideal king in the Shāhnāma. Within this context, she explains why the idea of the union of kingship and religion, a major topic in almost all medieval Persian mirrors for princes, has often been attributed to Ardashīr.
Trade ReviewWinner of the 2018 World Award for Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the field of Islamic/ Iranian Studies. “Askari has produced a highly valuable contribution to studies not only of the Shāhnāma but also of the long tradition of Persian moralia. [...] In this fine study, Askari furthers our awareness of the broad dissemination in the Persian mirror literature of Sasanian political wisdom, and the spectrum of uses to which it was put.” - Louise Marlow, Wellesley College, in: Journal of the American Oriental Society 138/4 (2018) "The author deserves the highest praise for achieving a precise and most creative work of research. She has admirably enhanced the study of Persian literature." - Olga Davidson, Boston University, in: Bulletin.Critique Annales Islamologiques 32 (2018) “…Askari’s book is a very valuable contribution to the scholarly literature on the Persianate political ethic.” Saïd Amir Arjomand, in, Journal of Persianate Studies 12
Table of ContentsTable of Contents Note on Transliteration, Translation, and Style List of Appendices Acknowledgements Introduction Chapter 1 The Medieval Reception of Firdausī’s Shāhnāma The Reception of the Shāhnāma on the Part of Sultan Maḥmūd The Shāhnāma and the ‘Abd al-Razzāqiyān Family The Reception of the Shāhnāma on the Part of Medieval Writers Chapter 2 The Portrayal of Ardashīr in the Shāhnāma Part I – Ardashīr’s Eligibility for Kingship Part II – Ardashīr’s Successful Kingship Chapter 3 The Wisdom of Ardashīr and His Advices in the Shāhnāma Ardashīr’s Customs and Practices (āyīn) Ardashīr’s Throne Speech (andarz) Ardashīr’s Testament (‘ahd) Chapter 4 The Ardashīr Cycle and Medieval Persian Mirrors for Princes The Pandnāma of Sebüktegin The Ādāb-i salṭanat va vizārat The Qābūs-nāma The Siyar al-mulūk of Niẓām al-Mulk The Naṣīḥat al-mulūk of Ghazālī The Aghrāż al-siyāsa fī a‘rāż al-riyāsa Two Chapters of the Jāmi‘ al-‘ulūm (Sittīnī) The Marzbān-nāma The Ᾱdāb al-ḥarb va al-shujā‘a Conclusion Bibliography
