Ferdowsi, the Mongols and the History of Iran

Book excerpt: Iran's rich cultural heritage has been shaped over many centuries by its colorful and highly dramatic history. This impressive book, which assembles contributions by some of the world's most eminent historians, art historians and other scholars of the Iranian world, explores the history of the country through the prism of Persian literature, art and culture. The result is a seminal work which illuminates important, yet largely neglected, aspects of Medieval and Early Modern Iran and the Middle East. Its scope, from the era of the Shahnameh to the period of the Mongols, Timurids, Safavids, Zands and Qajars, examines the interaction between mythology, history, historiography, poetry, painting and craftwork in the long narrative of the Persianate experience. As such, the book will be essential reading and a reference point for students and scholars of Iranian history, Persian literature and the arts of the Islamic World.