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The Sistani Cycle of Epics and Iranâs National History
On the Margins of Historiography
Series: - Studies in Persian Cultural History, Volume: 7
Author:
This work examines the entire corpus of the Sistani Cycle of Epics, both parts included in Ferdowsiâs ShÄhnÄmeh and those appearing in separate manuscripts. It argues that the so-called âepic literatureâ of Iran constitutes a kind of historiography, encapsulating reflections of watershed events of Iranâs antiquity.
By examining the symbiotic relationship of the textsâ content and form, the underpinning discourse of the various stories is revealed to have been shaped by polemics of political legitimacy and religious conflict. This discourse, however, is not abstract. The stories narrate, within their generic constraint, some of the affairs of the Sistani kingdom and its relationship to the Parthian throne, mainly from the first century BCE to the end of the second century CE.
By examining the symbiotic relationship of the textsâ content and form, the underpinning discourse of the various stories is revealed to have been shaped by polemics of political legitimacy and religious conflict. This discourse, however, is not abstract. The stories narrate, within their generic constraint, some of the affairs of the Sistani kingdom and its relationship to the Parthian throne, mainly from the first century BCE to the end of the second century CE.
Saghi Gazerani received her doctorate in History from Ohio State University in 2007, and has been since researching and publishing on various aspects of medieval Persian literary and historical genres.
Table of Content
Title page
Table of Content
Acknowledgements
Transliteration
List of Figures
List of Abbreviations
INTRODUCTION
1. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT
1.2. THE SCYTHIO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM OF SISTAN
1.2 THE RULING FAMILY IN SISTAN IN ANCIENT TIMES
1.3 THE OTHER PARTHIAN FAMILY
2. THE APPROPRIATION OF AN AVESTAN HERO AND THE BIRTH OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM
2.1 GARSHÄSPâS GENEALOGY
2.2 GARSHÄSP AND THE FOUNDING OF SISTAN
2.3 THE REPERTOIRE OF HEROIC MOTIFS
2.4 ANOTHER VERSION OF THE STORY/HISTORY
2.5 FOOTPRINTS OF A RELIGIOUS CONFLICT
3. THE ZENITH OF SUREN POWER
3.1 ROSTAMâS EARLY HEROIC CAREER
3.1.1 BAB-RE BAYÄN
3.1.2 KOK-E KUHZÄD
3.2.2. THE HAFT-KHÄN
3.2 HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
3.2.1 A TIME OF ALLIANCE
3.2.2 THE SPECIAL STATUS OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM
3.2.3 THE BEGINNING OF THE END : THE ADVANT OF LOHRÄSP
4. THE DOWNTRODDEN SISTANI HEROES
4.1 BORZU
4.2 JAHÄNGIR
4.3 SHAHRIYÄR
5. THE POLEMICS OF MAKING HEROES AND ANTI-HEROES
5.1 FARÄMARZ IN QANNUJ
5.2 TRANSFORMATION OF HEROIC IMAGERY
5.3 FARÄMARZ AND BAHMAN: THE FINAL SHOW DOWN
5.4 BAHMAN THE ANTI-HERO PAR EXCELLENCE
EPILOGUE
APPENDIX A: THE SISTANI CYCLE OF EPICS: STORIES AND THEIR MANUSCRIPTS
ROSTAM STORIES NOT INCLUDED IN THE SHÄHNÄMEH:
GARSHÄSPNÄMEH
BAHMANNÄMEH
FARÄMARZNÄMEH
BÄNU-GOSHASPNÄMEH
BORZUNÄMEH
SHAHRIYÄRNÄMEH
JAHÄNGIRNÄMEH
APPENDIX B : NARRATIONS OF BAHMANâS REGIN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
Title page
Table of Content
Acknowledgements
Transliteration
List of Figures
List of Abbreviations
INTRODUCTION
1. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT
1.2. THE SCYTHIO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM OF SISTAN
1.2 THE RULING FAMILY IN SISTAN IN ANCIENT TIMES
1.3 THE OTHER PARTHIAN FAMILY
2. THE APPROPRIATION OF AN AVESTAN HERO AND THE BIRTH OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM
2.1 GARSHÄSPâS GENEALOGY
2.2 GARSHÄSP AND THE FOUNDING OF SISTAN
2.3 THE REPERTOIRE OF HEROIC MOTIFS
2.4 ANOTHER VERSION OF THE STORY/HISTORY
2.5 FOOTPRINTS OF A RELIGIOUS CONFLICT
3. THE ZENITH OF SUREN POWER
3.1 ROSTAMâS EARLY HEROIC CAREER
3.1.1 BAB-RE BAYÄN
3.1.2 KOK-E KUHZÄD
3.2.2. THE HAFT-KHÄN
3.2 HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
3.2.1 A TIME OF ALLIANCE
3.2.2 THE SPECIAL STATUS OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM
3.2.3 THE BEGINNING OF THE END : THE ADVANT OF LOHRÄSP
4. THE DOWNTRODDEN SISTANI HEROES
4.1 BORZU
4.2 JAHÄNGIR
4.3 SHAHRIYÄR
5. THE POLEMICS OF MAKING HEROES AND ANTI-HEROES
5.1 FARÄMARZ IN QANNUJ
5.2 TRANSFORMATION OF HEROIC IMAGERY
5.3 FARÄMARZ AND BAHMAN: THE FINAL SHOW DOWN
5.4 BAHMAN THE ANTI-HERO PAR EXCELLENCE
EPILOGUE
APPENDIX A: THE SISTANI CYCLE OF EPICS: STORIES AND THEIR MANUSCRIPTS
ROSTAM STORIES NOT INCLUDED IN THE SHÄHNÄMEH:
GARSHÄSPNÄMEH
BAHMANNÄMEH
FARÄMARZNÄMEH
BÄNU-GOSHASPNÄMEH
BORZUNÄMEH
SHAHRIYÄRNÄMEH
JAHÄNGIRNÄMEH
APPENDIX B : NARRATIONS OF BAHMANâS REGIN
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
All interested in ancient Iranian history and Persian Classical literature, and also anyone interested in non-Western historiography and the relationship between epic and history.