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Ethics of War and Peace in the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Mohammad Jafar Amir Mahallati
Mohammad Jafar Amir Mahallati*
Affiliation:
Islamic Studies at Oberlin College
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Abstract

This article provides an overview of the ethics of war and peace in the most important and normatively influential work of epic literature known in the eastern lands of Islam, namely the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi (d. 1020 CE). As one of the greatest sources of the Iranian cultural identity for over a millennium, Shahnameh (lit. The book of kings) defines normative ideals in the ethics of war and peace within narratives that connect the ancient history of Iran to its mythical eras and in effect to both the medieval time of the epic's authorship and modern Iranian identity. By identifying limits, standards and legitimacy for war and peace in Shahnameh, this article aims to facilitate an Iranian contribution to the global literature and practice on peacemaking that has deep roots in the Islamo-Persian tradition.

Type
Articles
Information
Iranian Studies , Volume 48 , Issue 6 , November 2015 , pp. 905 - 931
Copyright
Copyright © Association For Iranian Studies, Inc 2015

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