The medieval reception of the Shahnama as a mirror for princes / / Nasrin Askari.

• Superior document: Studies in Persian Cultural History, Volume 9
• VerfasserIn: Askari, Nasrin,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden ;, Boston : : Brill,, 2016.; ©2016
• Year of Publication: 2016
• Language: English
• Series: Studies in Persian cultural history ; Volume 9.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (409 pages).
• Notes: Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nasrin 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.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- 1 The Medieval Reception of Firdausī’s Shāhnāma -- 2 The Portrayal of Ardashīr in the Shāhnāma -- 3 The Wisdom of Ardashīr and His Advices in the Shāhnāma -- 4 The Ardashīr Cycle and Medieval Persian Mirrors for Princes -- Conclusion -- Bibliography of Primary Sources -- Bibliography of Secondary Sources -- Appendices -- Index.