Chapter 19 Nizami’s Philosophy of History

What is it about?

In the works of great poets and writers, the idea of the historical past and the assessment of the past play an important role. A poet and a writer must have a certain philosophy of history in order to revive the past in an artistic way. The works of poets such as Nizami and Dante are rich in philosophical ideas, political views and philosophy of history. The heroes of Nizami’s poem-novels Khosrov and Shirin and Seven Beauties are historical figures of Iran and the world around it. The literary and political theme of these works is love and an idea of a just ruler. Nizami’s last and largest work, Iskandar-Nama (The Book of Alexander), explores the ideas of world history, world geography and a just ruler. Nizami develops a historical-geographical concept in accordance with this goal. Iskandar, the ruler of the world in Nizami’s interpretation, travels the known world, visiting the places that the historical Alexander the Great did not see. Iskandar engages in philosophical discussions with the seven Greek philosophers he has gathered around him; however, from a chronological point of view, only one of these philosophers is a contemporary and acquaintance of Iskandar. In most cases, Nizami deliberately allows historical anachronisms, implementing his creative ideas in this way.

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Photo by Andrew V on Unsplash