Medieval Reception of the Sh?hn?ma as a Mirror for Princes

Nasrin Askari explores the medieval reception of Firdaus?'s Sh?hn?ma, or Book of Kings (completed in 1010 CE) as a mirror for princes. Through her examination of a wide range of medieval sources, Askari demonstrates that Firdaus?'s oeuvre was primarily understood as a book of wisdom and advice for kings and courtly elites. In order to illustrate the ways in which the Sh?hn?ma functions as a mirror for princes, Askari analyses the account about Ardash?r, the founder of the Sasanian dynasty, as an ideal king in the Sh?hn?ma. Within this context, she explains why the idea of the union of kingship and religion, a major topic in almost all medieval Persian mirrors for princes, has often been attributed to Ardash?r.