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Home , Azraqi, Iranian literature, Kamal Khujandi, Mahsati, Tajik literature

JAN RYPKA

HISTORY OF

Written in collaboration with

OTAKAR KLf MA, VERA KUBfCKOVA, FELIX TAUER, JJRf BECKA, JIRf CEJPEK, JAN MAREK, I. HRBEK AND J. T. P. DE BRUUN

Edited by

KARL JAH N (University of Leyden)

D . REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY D ORDRECHT - H OLLAND DEJINY PERSKE A TADZICKE LITERATURY First published by Nakladatelstvl Ceskoslovenske akademie ved, Praha 1956 Translated from the German by P. van Popta-Hope, and enlarged and revised by the authors

C 1968. D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holla11d No part of this book may be reproduced in a11y form, by pri11t, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without permission from the publisher Printed in The Netherlands by D. Reidel, Dordrecht

Frontispiece: The Prophet, seated on Buraq, passing over the Ka'bah at Mecca on his miraculous night-journey. From Or. 6810, a copy of the Kbamseh of Niifuni dated 900/1494- 5, which bears autograph notes of the Mughal Emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan. (By courtesy oftire Trustees of the British Museum.) TABLE O F CO NTENT S

FOR EWORD v

LI ST OF ABBREVIATIONS xxi

GUI DE T O P R O NUNCI ATION xxv

OT AKAR KLi MA: A VESTA. ANCIENT PE R SI AN I NSCRIPTIO NS. MID DLE PERSI AN LITER AT URE

I. ANCIENT EASTERN- IRANIAN CULTURE 3 A. The Beginnings of Iranian Culture 3 B. The First States 4 C. Zarathushtra 5 D. 7 I. The Giitluis 7 2. Yasna, Visprat 8 3. The Yashts 9 4. Videvdiit 12 5. Minor Texts 15 6. Traditions regarding the Origin of the Avesta 16 7. Beginnings of Iranian Philology. Significance of the Avesta 17

II. THE CULTURE OF THE ANCIENT MEDES AND r8 A. The Medes and Persians 18 B. The Achaemenids. Character of their Government and Languages of their Realm 19 C. The Inscriptions of the Achaemenids 20

lX TABLE OF CONTENTS

D. Traces of the Lost Literature 23 E. Learning in Europe 23

III. THE ERA 25 A. The Arsacids 25 I. Alexander the Great, the Seleucids, the Partbians 25 2. The Literature of the Parthian Era 26 3. The Earliest Records of Middle Iranian Literature 27 4. Middle Iranian Dialects 29 5. Inscriptions from Arsacid Times 29 6. Coins of the Pre-Sasanian Period 30 B. The Sasanians 30 I. Inscriptions 30 2. Other Records. Seals, Gems, Coins, Documents 32 C. Middle Persian Book-Literature 34 I. Pahlavi Literature 34 2. Middle Persian Translations of the Avesta (Zand) 35 D. Religious Pahlavi Literature 35 r. Religious Texts 35 2. The Andarz Books. Moralising, Apocalyptic, and Eschatological Literature 37 3. Collections of Traditions and Polemic Treatises 39 E. Secular Literature 43 I. Historical Belles-Lettres 44 2. Instructive Works on Political Affairs 45 3. Legal Writings. Papyri 47 4. The Frahangs 48 5. Poetry in the Middle Persian Period. Lyrical Poetry and Music 49 6. Foreign Influences in Middle 53 7. Persian Influences on other Literatures 54 8. Literature of the last Century of the Sasanian Era 55 9. Literature of the Sectarians and Dissenters. Zurvanism. 59 ro. Middle Iranian Manuscripts 60 F. Discoveries in 61 I. Manichaean Documents 61 2. Sogdian Literature 63 3. Remains of K.hvarezmian Literature 64 4. Sakian Literature 65

IV. THE PERIOD OF TRANSITION TO NEW PERSIAN LITERATURE (The Advance of and the Beginnings of New Persian) 66 x TABLE OF CONTENTS

JAN RYPKA: HISTORY OF PERSIAN LITERATURE UP TO THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY 69

I. INTRODUCTION 71 A. The () 71 1. The Arabising of Persian 73 2. The Relation of Dialects to Persian Literature 74 3. Tbe Script 74 B. National Individuality 76 1. The Conception of Unity and its Reverse - Regionalism 76 2. Religious Elation and its Nature 77 3. The Shi'a 78 4. The Tolerance of Persian Poetry 78 5. Adaptability and late Europeanisation 79 6. Artistic Perceptibility, Nature, and inborn Disposition for Poetry 80 7. The Spirit of Islam 81 8. The Relationship between Poetry and Prose. Problems of Literary History 81 9. The Influence of ~iifism 82 10. Lack of Humour. The 'Satire' 83 I I. The Influence of Despotism and Feudalism 84 12. Extravagance 84 13. Eros and its Expression: Allegory and Symbolism. Abstract Character of the Lyric. Homosexuality 85 C. Conservatism and Convention in Persian Literature 87 J. The Connection with Feudalism 87 2. Official Islam as a restraining Factor 88 3. Conservatism of the Oriental Conception of the Relation between Word and Thought 88 4. The Difficulties of the Westerner in Comprehending Persian and other Oriental Authors 89 5. Men of Genius and Epigones: The European School 90 D. Poetry and its Forms 91 l . The Outward Form 91 a. Fundamental Concepts 91 b. Metrics 92 c. Rhyme in Relation to Form 93 (1) Forms of Lyric Poetry 94 (2) Substance of Lyrical Forms 97 (3) The Form of the Epic and Didactic Poem 98 d. Strictness of Form. Efficiency of the System 98 xi TABLE OF CONTENTS e. Takhal!U$ 99 2. The Inward Form of the Poetry 99 Characteristic Embellishments. Excess of Rhetoric 100 b. Prerequisites for the Poet ro r c. Peculiarities in the Train of Thought I 02 d. Craftsmanlike Modelling of the Form 103 e. The Attitude of the Older Orientalists J03 f. Applicability of the Old Forms to Modern Life 103 g. Exclusive Nature of the Poetry ro4 h. The Nature of Poetical Experience 104 j. The Specific Nature of Persian Poetry 105 k. Poets' Centres and the Division of Poetry into Periods 108 E. Prose 108 I. The Range of Persian Literature uo 2. Styles of Poetry as interpreted by M. Bahar and S. Nafisi II2 3. The Development of Literature in Political-historical Sequence II5 4. Mul)ammad Bahar's Classification of Prose into Periods according to Style 117 5. Zarre's Division into Periods r 18 6. Sources for the History of Persian Literature n9

11 . THE BEGINNINGS OF PERSfAN LITERATURE 126 A. The Arab Occupation r 26 1. The Ancient Culture and its Continuation 128 2. The Existence of a Middle Persian Poetry 132 3. The First Specimens of Persian Verse. Continuity of Middle and New Persian Verse 133 B. The Poets of the Tahirid and Saffarid Periods 135 C. Continuous Flow of Literature. Persian Writers in Arabic Literature (750-850) 136 m. T H E SAMANIDS (Middle of 3rd/9th century to end of 4th/1oth) 139 A. Literature in the Samanid Period 140 I. Points of Contact between Persian and Contemporaneous Arabic Poetry. Character of the Latter. Fundamental Traits of the Earliest Period in Persian Poetry 141 Some Names 143 3. Riidaki, (), Kisa>i 144 4. Provincial Poets at the Courts of the Al-i Mu}:ltaj in Chaghaniyan, Ziyarids and Buyids 146 5. General Characteristics of the. First Period 147 xii TABLE OF CONTENTS B. The Earliest Monuments I48 I. The Earliest Poetry and Prose, including the Works of Aviceona and Al-Biriini 149 C. The Epic Tradition of r5r D. Daqiqi 153 E. Firdausi 154 F. Epic Poems connected with the Shdh-niima 162 G. Persian Authors in Arabic Literature (850-1000) 166

IV. THE GHAZNAVID PERIOD (5th/Ilth century) 172 A. Yarninu>d-Daula Sultan Mal).mud of Ghazna 172 B. MaJ:unud's Attitude to Culture 173 C. The Panegyric P oets under Mal).mud and his Successors 174 D . The Romantic Epic 177 E. - his Importance and his Influence 179 v. THE SELJUQ PERIOD (5th/IIth to 6th/12th century) 183 A. The Rise of Panegyrism under Sultan Sanjar and during the Disintegration of the Seljuq Supremacy 184 B. Na~ir-i Khusrau 185 C.

VI. THE PROSE OF THE SELJUQ PERIOD (5th-6tb/nth- 12th century) 220 A. On the Border-line between Learned Literature (or Instruction) and Belles-Lettres 220 B. Belles-Lettres 222 C. Historical Works in Prose 224 D. Iranian Writers of Arabic (1000-1200 A.D.) 224 xiii TABLE OF CONTENTS

VII. 226 A. Origin, Development and Ideology of Sufism 226 B. Groups and Schools. Ritual 230 C. Sufi Symbolism 231 D. Beneficial and deleterious Effects of Sufism on Culture 232 E. The Quatrain Poets: Abu-Sa

IX. TiMOR AND HIS SUCCESSORS 279 A. Cultural and Literary Life 279 B. Lyric and Epic Poetry under the Timurids 283 c. 286 D. Outside . Baba Fighani and bis Influence. Lisani 288

X.THESAFAVIDS 291 A. The Literature of this Epoch 292 I. The 'Indian' Style 295 2. The Classicists 297 B. Poets of the Safavid Period 297 C. Subsequent Development of the Indian Style 301 D. $a'ib, Shaukat, Bidil 301

Xl. THE TURBULENT 12TH/ I8TH CENTURY 305 A. Shiraz, Political Centre in the Second Half of the 12th/ 18th Century; 'Return' (Baz-Gasht) in Isfahan 306 B. I:lazin 308 C. Shihab 309

xiv TABLE OF CONTENTS

XII. LITERARY AND ASSOC IA TED SPECIES OF PROSE DURING THE 7TH-I2TH/ I3TH-I8TH CENTURIES 3II A. Two Trends in Style: Extravagance and Simplicity 312 B. I;Iusayn Va.<~; The Moral Philosophers 313 C. Va~~ar (8th/ I4th Century) and his Imitator Mahdi-Khan (12th/18th Century) 3J4 1. Indian Essay-Writing; lnsha, 'Letter-Writing', 'Model Letters'; Tadhkiras, etc. 315 2. Belles-Lettres 3 16 3. Scholarly Works 317

XIII. THE I3TH/ 19TH CENTURY 320 A. General Characteris_tics of the Century 320 B. Continuation of the Epigone 'Return' Movement with its Tendency towards Simplicity 323 c. 1800-1830 325 D. 1830- 1850 328 1. Panegyrists: Qa>am, Vi~iil, Furiighi 328 2. The Reaction to the Degeneration of the Social Order. The Satirist Yaghma 333 3. The First Prose-Reformer: Qa,im-Maqam. The Diaries of Na~iru,d-din and their Importance 335 E. Second Half of the 13th/19th Century 336 I. Book-Printing 337 2. The Press 337 3. Daru,1-Funiin and its First Director, Ri<;la-Quli-Khan Hidayat 339 4. The Development of Learned Prose. Translations from Literature of the West 341 5. Trends towards Popularisation and Pro-Russian Reaction to the Occidental Cult. Talibtif 343 6. The Sole Philosopher of the 13th/19th Century: Hadi Sabzavari 343 7. Classicism in Poetry, occasionally with Contemporary Themes: Sipihr, Huma, Surush, Shaybiini, Shurida, Adib Nishaptiri 344 8. Adibti,1-Mamalik 348

VERA KUBfCKOVA: PERSIAN LITERATURE OF THE 20TH CENTURY 353

I. BRIEF SURVEY OF THE ECONOMICO-POLJTICAL SITUATION IN IRAN AFTER 1896 355 A. Struggle for a Constitution and Fall of the Qajars in the Period xv TABLE OF CONTENTS

1896-1921 355 B. The Rise of Ric,la Khan and his Path to Power 358 C. Changes in Home and Foreign Policy after 1941 359

II. CHARACTER OF THE LITERARY RENAISSANCE 362 A. The Press and its Role in the Literature of the Constitutional Period 365 B. The Beginnings of Modern Prose 369 C. Important Poets of the Constitutional Period 372

III. LITERARY LIFE IN THE YEARS l92l- l94I 379 A. Literary Reviews between 1921 and 1941 382 B. The Main Trends in Poetry 384 C. Persian Prose and the Rise of the Modern Short Story 389

IV. THE MAIN LITERARY TRENDS AFTER 1941 397 A. Important Literary and Cultural Periodicals of Recent Years 401 B. Brief Survey of Contemporary Persian Poetry 404 C. Persian Prose after l 94 I 406 I. The Novel and the Short Story with Historical Themes 406 2. Social Themes in Modern Prose 408 3. The Chief Representatives of the Short Story 410

FELIX TAUER: PERSI AN L EARN ED LITERA TURE F ROM I TS BE G I N N I N G S UP TO THE END O F THE r8TH CENTURY 419

I. INTRODUCTION 421 II. PHILOSOPHY 425 lII. PHILOLOGY 429 IV. HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY 438 V. GEOGRAPHY 460 VI. THE EXACT SCIENCES 464 VII. THE NATURAL SCIENCES 470 VIII. MEDICINE AND PHARMACOLOGY 473 IX. ENCYCLOPAEDIAS 480

JIRI BECK A: T A JIK LITE R ATURE FROM T H E r 6TH CENTUR Y T O THE PRESENT 483

I. BEFORE THE REVOLUTION 485 A. Introduction 485

xvi TABLE OF CONTENTS B. The Parting of Iran and Central Asia 486 C. Characteristics of from the 16th to the Early 2oth 487 Centuries D. The Study of Tajik Literature 489 E. Periodisation 490 F. The 16th Century 491 r. Political and Economic Survey 491 2. Literature 494 a. 'Sabki hindi' 496 b. Binoi 497 ~~li ~ d. Vosifi 501 e. Mushfiqi 502 G. The 17th Century 504 I. Historical Survey 504 2. Literature 505 a. Poetry of the Town Craftsmen 508 b. Salido 509 H. The 18th Century up to the Russian Occupation of Central Asia 511 1. Historical Survey 51 I 2. Literature 512 a. Bedil and Bedilism 515 J. From the Russian Occupation to the October Revolution 520 I. Historical Survey 520 a. Jadidism 523 b. The Effect of the Russian Occupation of Central Asia 524 2. Literature 525 a. Folk-Poetry 529 b. Donish 529 c. Savdo 532 d. Shohin · 533 e. Hairat 534 f. Asiri 534 g. Aini 535

II. AFTER THE REVOLUTION 546 A. Introduction 546 B. Political Development 547 C. Influences 549 D. Characteristics of Soviet Tajik Literature 550 E. Division into Periods 553 xvii TABLE OF CONTENTS r. Development from 1917 to 1929 553 2. From 1929 to 1941 554 3. From 1941 to 1945 556 4. From 1945 to the Present 557 F. The Founders of Soviet Tajik Literature 559 r. Sadriddin Aini 559 2. Abulqosim Lohuti 564 3. Other Members of the First Generation 566 4. Javhari and the Poetess Ozod 571 G. The Second Generation 572 I. Prose 572 2. Poetry 577 H. The 'Third' and 'Fourth' Generations 585 I. Poetry 585 2. Prose 588 J. The Drama 589 I. From 1933 to 1941 590 2. From 1941 to 1945 592 3. From 1945 up to the Present 592 K. The Folk-Poets 595 L. The Study of Tajik Literature 598 M. The Press 600

Jiilf CEJPEK: IRANIAN FOLK-LITERATURE 607

I. I NTRODUCTION 609 A. Contrasts between Folk-Literature and Polite Literature 609 B. Directions of Development of Iranian Folk-Literature 611 C. The Importance of Folk-Literature 613

II. IRANIAN FOLK-EPICS 617 A. Iranian Epical Subjects as conveyed by Classical Authors 617 B. Iranian Folk-Epics in Pre-Islamic Times 6r9 C. Iranian Subjects adopted in Arabic Literature 622 D. Folklore Foundations of Iranian Epical Poetry 625 e. Folklore Foundations of Iranian Romantic Epics 631 F. The Giirughli Epic Cycle and other Subjects of Iranian Folk-Epics 634 G. The Ossetian Nart Sagas and their Importance 640 H . The dast

Ill. INTRODUCTION TO FOLK-TALES 649 A. Iranian Folk-Tales and Problems arising from them 649 B. Iranian Folk-Humour 657

IV. IRANIAN BNTERTAINMl2NT FOLK-LITERATURE 660 A. Collections of Fables, particularly Kali/a and Dimna 660 B. 'Mirrors for Princes' and other Entertaining and Instructive Literature 66T C. The Iranian Element in the Book of A Thousand and One Nights and Similar Collections 663 D. The Thousand and One Days 666

V. WRITTEN FORMS OF FOLK-LITERAT URE 670 A. Folk-Books - the Forerunners of Folk-Prints 670 B. Folk-Plints in General 671 C. Fantastic Romances of Chivalry in Folk-Print Form 671 D. Short Stories in Folk-Prints 673 E. Folk-Tales in Folk-Prints 674 F. Dream-Books and Handbooks for Astrologers and Fortune-Tellers 675

VI. THE INFLUENCE OF POLK-LITERATURE IN MODERN PERSIAN AND T AJIK LITERATURE 677

VII. R ELIGIOUS POLK- LITERATURE 679 A. Religious Folk-Literature and its Relations to Folk-Tradition 679 B. Religious Folk-Literature as Primary Stage in Iranian Folk-Drama 680

VIII. DRAMATIC FOLK-LITBRATURBJN IRAN 682 A. The ta

IX. VERSE FORMS OF FOLK-LITERATURE 694 A. Folk-Quatrains 694 B. Lyric and Epic Folk-Songs 695 C. Folk-Couplets, Counting-Out and Nursery Rhymes 699 xix TABLE OF CONTENTS

X. RIDDLES AND PROVERBS 701

XI. CONCLUSION 705

JAN MAREK: PERSIAN LITERATURE IN I NDIA ?II

A. First Contacts between Iran and India in the Field of Literature. The Age of Mal;unud Ghaznavi and Mul;iammad Ghori 713 B. Literary Relations become closer. The Sultanate of Delhi 715 r. l;Iasan of Delhi 717 2. The Court of Sikandar L6dI 720 C. The Golden Age of Indo-Persian Literature. The Age of the Moguls 721 I. The Age of Akbar 722 2. The Age of Jahangir 725 3. The Court of Shahjahan 726 4. The Age of Aurangzeb. The Decline of the Mogul Empire 729 D. The Retrogression of Persian as the Literary Language of India. The Poets as Bilinguists 73 I

JAN RYPKA: AN OUTLINE OF JUDEO-PERSIAN LITERATURE 735

SURVEY OF DYNASTIES 741

SELECTED BI BLIOGRAPHY 751

ADDENDA 8~

I NDEX 8~

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