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

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.

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Includes bibliographical references and index.

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.

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