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Persian and Arabic Literature

c. A.D. 600-A.D. 1400

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Origins of Persian Culture

 A group of Aryan tribes migrated from southern Russia to Persia

(Iran today)

 They seized the population and took control of land

 This tribal group become one of the most powerful forces in the
Middle East

 They became known as Persians, and their language evolved

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The Persian Empire at its Height
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The Persian Empire

 Persian King Cyrus the Great began a series of conquests and expands the
empire
 New empire extends further by conquering Egypt, Afghanistan, and
nothern India
 They were remarkable at retaining order in their empire – governor
established the Persian Code of Laws, taxing, and built roads
 They showed respect to conquered peoples for their native customs and
religions.
 Tolerance minimized rebellions
 Conquered by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.
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Statue of Alexander the Great
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Religion in Ancient Persia

 Official state religion was Zoroastrianism—continued after empire

fell

Underlying philosophy was one of dualism: the originator,

Zoroaster thought the world was governed by two opposing gods.

—Ahura Mazda, or Ormazd (the god of goodness, truth, and wisdom)

--Ahriman (the spirit of evil)

People who follow the the god of goodness will be rewarded at death
with an eternal life in Paradise; the others will suffer an afterlife of
eternal suffering
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Zoroaster
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Symbols and philosophies of
Zoroasterinism
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The Rise of Islam

 Islam orginated during the sixth century A.D. in the area of the Arabian
Peninsula (now Saudi Arabia)
 Founder – Muhammad – born in A.D. 572 in Mecca (city of extremes of
very rich and very poor)

 Muhammad went on retreat and had an experience that forever changed

his life. He believed that the angel Gabriel came to him and told him that
he was to serve as God’s prophet

 He continued to recite his revelations throughout his life and taught them
to his followers

 His revelations, after his death, were recorded and arranged into a book
called the Koran, the Holy Scripture of Muslims
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Muhammad
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The Koran

A page from the Koran

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The Central Message of the Koran

 There is a single, unique God who is the creator and sustainer of all
things. This god is called “Allah” which literally means “the God” in
Arabic

**According to the Koran, it is the duty of all Muslims to submit

their wills to Allah, because he is not only their creator and
sustainer but is also the one who will judge them at death.**

Muslims must submit to the Five Pillars of

Islam:
1. Submit to Allah
2. Turn to Mecca and pray five times a day
3. Perform acts of charity
4. Fast during Ramadan
5. Make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca during their
lifetime
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The Five Pillars
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Bowing to Mecca praying
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Mecca
+ Did you know . . .
 That Muslims consider the Torah and the Old Testament to be Divine
Scriptures?

 Or that Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last in a long series
of Prophets starting with Adam and including Moses and all of the
other prophets in the Bible?
 Terrorism, unjustified violence and the killing of innocent people are
absolutely forbidden in Islam. Islam is a way of life that is meant to bring
peace to a society, whether its people are Muslim or not. The extreme actions
of those who claim to be Muslim may be, among other things, a result of
their ignorance or uncontrolled anger.
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Caliphs

 Were Muhammad’s closest advisors. They believed that their religion

was meant not just for Arabs, but for the entre human race.

 So, they sent out armies to spread the religion throughout the world
and were successful

 Many were forcefully converted, but many did so willingly.

 They saw this conversion as a means of social and economic

advancement in the new empire
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Caliphs
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Language

 Arabic was the official language of Islam through literature,

government, and scholarship

 Persian was also widespread– took over as the main language except
for in areas of religion

 “Arabic is for praying, Turkish is for cursing, and Persian is for

courtship.”
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+ Turkish Alphabet
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Arabic Alphabet
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Arabic Literature

 Possessed large body of poetry

 Qasidas – recited odes praising their tribes and

making fun of others

 Inititally purely religious

 Writers expanded into history, philosophy, and

science

 Fiction – “The Thousand and One Nights” is the most

famous of all Arabic works of literature
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Persian Literature

 After Islamic conquest, virtually no literature written

 Then, several hundred years of a literary renaissance occurred

 Produced historical and geographical works, but mostly books about

ethics and morals

 In order to preserve their heritage, several poets attempt to write epic

poems

 Most famous is “Shah-nama” is still considered a national treasure in

Iran
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Pages from “Shahnama”
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The “rubai”

 A four-line poetic form of writing

 “The Rubiyat” – a collection of verse by Omar Khayyam—wasn’t

widely respected until the Western world recognized it
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Sufism

 The Sufis were people who had withdrawn from society to live
solitary lives of worship and piety in the hope of achieving oneness
with Allah
 Their attachment to Allah was similar to feelings of being in love
 Caused them to feel intoxication, bliss, and pain
 Used poetry to express their spiritual feelings in the language of love
 They compare themselves to “a nightingale that cries its feelings of
love for an inaccessible rose, couched in its bed of thorns.”
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Mystical Sufis
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A Sufi is a person who takes the

mystical path of the religion of Islam.
A Sufi is essentially an honest,
selfless, and truthful person.
+ The Shahnama