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, many legendary accounts exist on the Sasanian 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 poetry, and can be found in the Shāhnāma of Firdawsī. The episode on Anūshīrvān (Nūshīnravān), as well as the episode on 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, starting with the version included in the 14^th-century manuscript miscellany Safīna-yi Tabrīz, with a view to demonstrate how the Pandnāma-yi Anūshīrvān can be viewed as an exponent of the extensive afterlife of the Shāhnāma.