The Wise Counsels of Anūshīrvān: The Pandnāma-yi Anūshīrvān in the Safīna-yi Tabrīz

The Wise Counsels of Anūshīrvān: The Pandnāma-yi Anūshīrvān in the Safīna-yi Tabrīz and its relation to the episode of Nūshīnravān in Firdawsī’s Shāhnāma

In Persian literature and history, there are many legendary accounts of the Sassanian king Anūshīrvān (r. 531–579), famous for his just rule and the prosperity of the empire during his reign. One of the longest accounts is in verse and can be found in the Shāhnāma by Firdawsī. The episode concerning Anūshīrvān (Nūshīnravān), as well as the episode concerning the first Sasanian king, Ardashīr, in many ways illustrate the ‘mirror for princes’ aspect of the Shāhnāma and the importance of wise counsel (andarz) throughout the epic. This lecture will explore the connections between the Shāhnāma  and versions of a work known as Pandnāma-yi Anūshīrvān, beginning with the version included in the 14^th-century manuscript miscellany Safīna-yi Tabrīz, with a view to demonstrating how the Pandnāma-yi Anūshīrvān can be seen as an example of the enduring legacy of the Shāhnāma.