Introduction to Early Classical Persian Prose: From Abu Mansūr’s Shahname to Kalīla wa Dimna
March 17th - April 4th
Instructor: Ruben S. Nikoghosyan
Languages: English, Persian
Duration: 3 weeks (30 hours)
Frequency: 5 classes per week (Monday – Friday)
Duration of Sessions: 2 hours (starting 6pm Yerevan time)
Participation Fee:
- 2 Weeks 290 USD*
- 3 Weeks 390 USD*
*10% discount for early applicants until February 28th
Deadline for Applications: March 14th
Classes Start: March 17th
Location: Online (Zoom)
Required level of Persian: Intermediate
Text Editions: see Description
Registration: To apply, please click the “Apply” button above. Complete all required fields and submit. Accepted applicants will receive further instructions on participation.
Note: All materials will be provided by the instructor
The Introduction to Early Classical Persian Prose is a three-week online course designed to provide a foundational understanding of the Classical Persian language and its early literary tradition. Participants will explore the stylistics, content, and linguistic features of Early Classical Persian prose through intensive readings of key texts written in the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries CE. The course offers a structured approach to studying classical prose, giving learners the tools to engage deeply with the language and literature of this rich historical period.
Course Overview
This three-week online course provides an in-depth exploration of Early Classical Persian prose, focusing on key texts from the 10th, 11th, and 12th centuries CE. Classes will be held Monday to Friday, two hours per day, focusing on the intensive readings and analysis of the selected texts.
In the first week, participants will delve into important specimens of 10th-century prose, beginning with the Dibāča of Abu Mansūr’s Shāhnama, Tārikh-ī Bal’amī, and the geographical text by an unknown author Hudūd al-’ālam. These readings will provide an early foundation in the language, its stylistic features, and its evolving literary traditions.
The second week shifts to 11th-century texts, such as Siyāsat-nāma (Siyār ul-Mulūk) and Qābus-nāma. Through these works, participants will deepen their understanding of Persian prose’s thematic and stylistic development during this period, and get an insight into the mirror-of-princes genre in Persian literature.
In the final week, the course turns to the 12th century with an exclusive focus on Persian translation of Kalila and Dimna by Nasrullāh Munshī, which is written in a style known as rhyming prose. This complex text offers a unique opportunity to engage with advanced linguistic and literary elements of Classical Persian and get the skills to tackle more complex texts.
Throughout the course, participants will gain a nuanced understanding of Early Classical Persian, covering phonetics, orthography, grammar, stylistics, etymology, and the broader literary traditions of the period. The immersive readings and discussions will enable learners to build a strong foundation in both the language and the literary culture of Classical Persian prose.
Selected Texts
- The Introduction or Dibāča of Abu Mansūr’s Shāhnāma
- Abu ‘Ali Muhammad al-Bal’amī, Tārikh-ī Bal’amī (a free rendering into Persian of Tabarī’s History)
- Hudūd al-’ālam (author unknown)
- Nizām ul-Mulk, Siyār ul-mulūk (Siyāsat-nāma)
- Kay-Kāwus b. Iskandar b. Qābus b. Wušmgīr, Qābūs-nāma
- Kalīla wa Dimna, translated by Nasrullāh Munšī
Topics of Discussion
- Early Classical Persian: An overview of the historical, linguistic and literary background.
- From Classical to Modern Persian: The phonetic evolution of Persian.
- The earliest manuscripts of Early Classical Persian.
- Parallel Traditions: Early Judaeo-Persian and its literary heritage.
- The orthographical evolution of New Persian.
- The Lexicon of the ENP: The borrowings from the substratum languages
Course Structure
The course consists of 15 sessions of intensive study, each session lasting for two hours. The classes will be held from Monday to Friday and last for three weeks. The participants have the option of choosing to participate only for two weeks. Below is a breakdown of the main activities during each class:
- Discussion of questions: Reviewing and reflecting on homework sections
- Reading and analysis: Close reading and analysis of selected texts Break: Short pause to refresh (15 minutes)
- Reading and analysis
- Q&A and wrap-up: Open discussion and addressing participants’ questions
Students are encouraged to actively participate and share their perspectives, creating a collaborative learning environment.
Methodology
In my courses, I employ a straightforward yet highly effective method that integrates literary, historical-linguistic, and philological approaches to elucidate even the most complex passages and challenging words within Classical Persian texts.
Drawing on my expertise in pre-Islamic (Middle) Persian language and literature, as well as my familiarity with a number of Iranian and non-Iranian languages, broader historical and geographical contexts, and the rich literary traditions of the region, I aim to bring clarity to the meanings of words, expressions, and ideas within the texts we study.
This approach, which focuses on explaining the foundational logic and structure of the prose, will not only help participants comprehend the historical works examined during the course but also provide them with the tools and confidence to engage with other Classical Persian texts independently in the future.
Course Readings
Week 1
Day 1-2. Dibāča of Abu Mansūr’s Shāhnāma
Discussion topic: Early Classical Persian: An overview of the historical, linguistic, and literary background.
Recommended reading: Djalal Khaleghi Motlagh, “Šāhnāme-ye Abumansuri”. In: Esmā’īl Sa’ādat (ed.), Ferdowsī wa Shahnāmā-sarā’ī. The Academy of Persian Language and Literature, Tehran, 2011, pp. 109-115.
Day 3-4. Tārikh-ī Bal’amī by Abu ‘Ali Muhammad al-Bal’amī.
Edition: Malek-oš-šo’arā Bahār (ed.), Tārix-e Bala’āmī, be kušeš-e Mohammad Parvin-e Gonābādi, dar 2 moǰallad, 1353 (čāp-e dovvom).
Chapter: Andar xabar-i Ardašīr-i Bābakān (2nd volume, pp. 874-886).
Discussion topic: The Development of the Classical Persian Orthography
Day 5. Hudūd al-‘ālam min al-mašriq ilā al-maqrīb by an unknown author
Edition: Sotude, Manučehr (ed.), Hodūd al-‘Alam. Ketābkhane-ye Țahuri, Tehran. 1983
Week 2
Day 6-8. Siyār ul-mulūk (Siyāsat-nāma) by Nizām ul-Mulk.
Edition: Darke, Hubert (ed.), Siyār ul-mulūk. Critical edition. Tehran. 1340
Discussion topic: The earliest manuscripts of Early Classical Persian.
Day 9-10. Qābūs-nāma by Kay-Kāwus b. Iskandar b. Qābus b. Wušmgīr
Edition: Yousefi, Golam-Hossein (ed.). Qābūs-nāma. Tehran. 1371
Discussion topic: From Classical to Modern Persian: The phonetic evolution of Persian.
Week 3
Day 11-15. Kalīla wa Dimna, the translation of Nasrullāh Munšī.
Edition: Minovi, Mojtaba, Kalīle va Demne, Tehran. 1392.
Discussion topics:
- Parallel Traditions: Early Judaeo-Persian and its literary heritage.
- The Lexicon of the ENP: The borrowings from the substratum languages