A Bibliographic Approach to the Study of the Legacy of Ferdowsi

Abstract

In recent years, the literary legacy of A. Ferdowsi has once again become a topical issue in the Islamic Republic of Iran within the framework of a "political concept." The fact that traditional sources present him not as a historical figure and literary identity, but as a "cultural passport" of an ethnic group, is both a manipulation of historical sources and a distortion of the role of mythology in cultural and historical development. Considering that much of the research on Ferdowsi's work has been conducted outside of Iran and is considered more scholarly, a bibliographic analysis of copies written and printed in different historical periods is important.

Since improvisation and significant elements of mythology are widely reflected in the life scenes and works of figures in classical Iranian literature, it is important to examine this topic within the sociocultural context of the period, using a comparative historical approach. It is known that academic studies of Ferdowsi's work were conducted primarily by Soviet scholars. Unlike Iranian scholars, Soviet studies do not present mythological materials as historical facts. Furthermore, the researchers compared historical sources related to Ferdowsi's work and, using ethnolinguistic analysis, attempted to accurately assess the geographic region and characteristics of the period in which he lived. The goal of this study is to identify and systematize Ferdowsi's historical figure and controversial aspects of his work based on bibliographic materials. The study also examines the literary and historical assessment of Ferdowsi's work and the Shahnameh in different periods, and analyzes the sociopolitical context of this period.