Ferdosi’s
Aim – Why He wrote the Shahnameh
The
idea, expressed in the traditional vita, that Ferdosi started composing
the Shahnameh by the order of Mahmud and upon a financial arrangement
is a myth. No doubt the hope of being well received by the Soltan
and handsomely rewarded is expressed in some parts of the Shahnameh,
but they all date from the later years of the poet’s life. When he
had already finished almost all of his work, and in so doing, he had
spent his own resources. In the old age, he was left with poverty
and poor health. In his dedication of the Shahnameh to Soltan Mahmud,
Ferdosi’s aim was mainly to preserve its valuable copies in a royal
library, thus making its publication possible and easy. In the age
of feudal lords and destructive warfare, this was a legitimate precaution
to take. Almost all masterpieces of Persian literature owe their survival
to similar circumstances.
The
real aims of Ferdosi are reflected in his own Shahnameh. He hoped
to revive and strengthen Iranian nationalism and immortalize his own
name by preserving in a most moving and melodious style of epic poetry
the memory of those who shaped Iranian history and defended the Iranian
heritage. He intended to illustrate the charm and appeal of the Persian
culture and language in an age when some of the Iranians expressed
the belief that the only tongue worthy of scholars and poets was the
language of the Arab conquerors of Iran. In short, he intended to
revive Iranian dreams and fulfill his own ideals.
Ferdosi
was an artist by nature and needed to fulfill his creative powers.
He realized that he was a gifted poet and drew deep joy from reading
good poetry and even more so from composing it. Poetry, he said, was
the source of happiness, and the best and most precious memorial.
Convinced of his own skill and elated by the choice of the subject
of his composition, he drew immense pleasure in revitalizing ancient
times and heroes and formed, as we have seen, a deep relationship
with the characters whom he resurrected.
Ferdosi’s expectations were fulfilled. Soon after his death, his Shahnameh
became accepted among Persians as the equivalent of the Koran among
Arabs. The idea of nationalism as known today is a fairly recent European
development, which has spread into other countries. However, a people
with a common background (descent, language, religion, and customs)
living in a specifically determined and continuously maintained land,
naturally develop strong nationalistic bonds. Such ties had created
an undeniable nationalism among the Iranians, which became particularly
powerful under the Sassanian. The Islamic conquest brought a shattering
reaction in that it destroyed traditions safeguarding nationalism
and replaced them with religious considerations. Profound Iranian
opposition to this reaction was especially through the Shoubie movement,
which prevented Iran’s assimilation into an Arabic entity. The idea
that Islam meant accepting all Semitic legends and customs had undermined
Iranian resistance to pan-Arabism. Therefore, the nationalism expressed
in the Shahnameh, even if not wholly of Ferdosi’s own conception,
has been a great factor in Iranian survival. By composing the Shahnameh,
Ferdosi definitely consolidated the Persian language to the extent
that it was no longer threatened, and nothing like this monument was
created for another language in direct contact with Arabic. His greatest
service was to stimulate and strengthen the pride in being Iranian
so effectively that he prevented Iran from assimilation into an Arabic
nation.
It may be state with fairness that no one has influenced the concept
of Iranian nationalism, as has Ferdosi. After his Shahnameh became
known, it was no longer possible to deny the unity of those who understood
and loved it as “their” book or to deprive them of a common source,
i.e., “Iranian heritage” and “nationality”. Henceforth, no Iranian
could read the “letter of Rostam to his brother” on the Arab conquest
of Iran and its consequences, and remain passive. Where many Iranian
military and religious leaders failed, Ferdosi succeeded.
With his Shahnameh, immortality of a nation became possible. Another
lesson of the Shahnameh is that despite unavoidable destiny and frequent
turns of fortune, despair is inadmissible and unmanly. One seeking
high position and glory must strive hard and be prepared for whatever
setbacks and difficulties he may encounter. By giving the final victory
in every episode to the righteous man and by terminating every disaster
and time of misfortune with the revival of prosperity and good fortune,
Ferdosi conveys the message that calamities and downfalls are not
permanent, that success and glory can be attained even after catastrophes
have wreaked devastation, and that hope is the source of all further
progress.
Source: The Shahnameh, Abu'lQassem Ferdowsi, Edited by Djalal Khaleghi-Motlagh,
Vol. I, 1988 Ferdowsi, A Critical Biography, by A. Shapur Shahbazi,
Published by Mazda Pulishers, 1991
Ferdosi’s
Religious Views
Even
in his own time, Ferdosi was regarded as a partisan of Zoroastrianism
who had spent his life in praising ancient Iranian infidels (garbakan)
and accordingly did not deserve burial among Moslems. Our sources,
however, agree that the family of Ferdosi adhered to Islam, and there
are indications that they were Shiite.
It must be borne in mind that their Islam was of an Iranized nature,
best described as strict monotheism with high regards for ethics and
abhorrence of evil. The anti-Arabization sentiment evident in the
Shahnameh originated from his sources, particularly the prose Shahnameh
of Abu Mansur that was compiled by Zoroastrian scholars. The lack
of Islamic fervor in the Shahnameh was due to the nature of its contents,
which dealt with ancient Iranian history; and as a dehqan steeped
in the composition of such a book, Ferdosi was concerned more with
accurately transmitting the philosophy of his sources than with presenting
his own religious beliefs.
When the need arose, however, he did convey his personal views, and
on those occasions his expressions are not those of a Zoroastrian.
Indeed, Ferdosi is at time quite unflattering towards the ancient
Iranian religion, customs and heroes – again an indication of his
loyalty to his sources.
