Editing Shahnameh (section)

== Legacy ==
[[File:Big-Head Shahname.jpg|thumb|Kai Khosrow and Fariburz, Folio from the [[Big Head Shahnameh]]. [[Gilan province|Gilan]], 1493–1494. [[British Museum]]]]

Ferdowsi concludes the ''Shahnameh'' by writing:

{{Blockquote|
I've reached the end of this great history<br />
And all the land will talk of me:<br />
I shall not die, these seeds I've sown will save<br />
My name and reputation from the grave,<br />
And men of sense and wisdom will proclaim<br />
When I have gone, my praises and my fame.<ref>Ferdowsi (2006). ''Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings''. Translated by Dick Davis. New York: Viking. {{ISBN|0670034851}}.</ref>}}

Another translation of by Reza Jamshidi Safa:
{{Blockquote|
Much I have suffered in these thirty years,<br />
I have revived the Ajam with my verse.<br />
I will not die then alive in the world,<br />
For I have spread the seed of the word.<br />
Whoever has sense, path and faith,<br />
After my death will send me praise.<ref>Ferdowsi's poet, (2010). ''Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings''. Translated by Reza Jamshidi Safa. Tehran, Iran.</ref>}}

Many Persian literary figures, historians and biographers have praised Ferdowsi and the ''Shahnameh''. The ''Shahnameh'' is considered by many to be the most important piece of work in [[Persian literature]].

Western writers have also praised the ''Shahnameh'' and Persian literature in general. Persian literature has been considered by such thinkers as [[Goethe]] as one of the four main bodies of world literature.<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopedia of Modern Asia|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofmo00|url-access=registration|year=2002|editor1-first=Karen|editor1-last=Christensen|editor2-first=David|editor2-last=Levinson|publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|location=New York|isbn=0-684-80617-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofmo00/page/48 48]}}</ref> Goethe was inspired by Persian literature, which moved him to write his ''[[West–östlicher Divan|West-Eastern Divan]]''. Goethe wrote:

{{Blockquote|When we turn our attention to a peaceful, civilized people, the Persians, we must—since it was actually their poetry that inspired this work—go back to the earliest period to be able to understand more recent times. It will always seem strange to the historians that no matter how many times a country has been conquered, subjugated and even destroyed by enemies, there is always a certain national core preserved in its character, and before you know it, there re-emerges a long-familiar native phenomenon.  In this sense, it would be pleasant to learn about the most ancient Persians and quickly follow them up to the present day at an all the more free and steady pace.<ref>{{cite book|last=Azodi|first=Wiesehöfer|title=Ancient Persia: From 550 BC to 650 AD|date=August 18, 2001|publisher=I. B. Tauris|location=London|isbn=1-86064-675-1|edition=New|page=Introduction}}</ref>}}

=== Biographies ===
''Sargozasht-Nameh'' or biography of important poets and writers has long been a Persian tradition. Some of the biographies of Ferdowsi are now considered apocryphal, nevertheless, this shows the important impact he had in the Persian world. Among the famous biographies are:<ref name="Nurian 1993">{{cite journal|last=Nurian|first=Mahdi|title=Afarin Ferdowsi az Zaban Pishinian|journal=Hasti Magazine|year=1993|volume=4|trans-title=Praises of Ferdowsi from the Tongue of the Ancients|publisher=Bahman Publishers|location=Tehran}}</ref>

# ''Chahar Maqaleh'' ("Four Articles") by [[Nizami Aruzi|Nezami 'Arudi-i Samarqandi]]
# ''Tazkeret Al-Shu'ara'' ("The Biography of poets") by Dowlat Shah-i Samarqandi
# ''Baharestan'' ("Abode of Spring") by [[Jami]]
# ''[[Lubab ul-Albab]]'' by [[Muhammad Aufi|Mohammad 'Awfi]]
# ''Natayej al-Afkar'' by Mowlana Muhammad Qudrat Allah
# ''Arafat Al-'Ashighin'' by [[Ohadi Balyani]]

=== Poets ===
[[File:FOLIO FROM THE SHAHNAMEH OF SHAH TAHMASP, ATTRIBUTED TO AQA MIRAK, CIRCA 1525-35, Sotheby,s.jpg|thumb|''[[Fereydun]] tests his sons'', Miniature by [[Aqa Mirak]] from the [[Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp]] . [[Aga Khan Museum]]]]
[[File:Georgian manuscript (Shahname).jpg|thumb|Page from the manuscript of ''[[Rostomiani]]'', [[Georgian language|Georgian]] adaptation of ''Shahnameh'']]

Famous poets of [[Persia]] and the Persian tradition have praised and eulogized Ferdowsi.  Many of them were heavily influenced by his writing and used his genre and stories to develop their own Persian epics, stories and poems:<ref name="Nurian 1993" />

* [[Anvari]] remarked about the eloquence of the ''Shahnameh'', "He was not just a Teacher and we his students. He was like a God and we are his slaves".<ref>Persian: "آفرين بر روان فردوسی / آن همايون نهاد و فرخنده / او نه استاد بود و ما شاگرد / او خداوند بود و ما بنده"</ref>
* [[Asadi Tusi]] was born in the same city as Ferdowsi. His ''Garshaspnama'' was inspired by the ''Shahnameh'' as he attests in the introduction. He praises Ferdowsi in the introduction<ref>Persian: "که فردوسی طوسی پاک مغز / بدادست داد سخنهای نغز / به شهنامه گیتی بیاراستست / بدان نامه نام نکو خواستست"</ref> and considers Ferdowsi the greatest poet of his time.<ref>Persian: "که از پیش گویندگان برد گوی"</ref>
* [[Masud Sa'd Salman|Masud Sa'ad Salman]] showed the influence of the ''Shahnameh'' only 80 years after its composition by reciting its poems in the [[Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid]] court of India.
* [[Uthman Mukhetari|Othman Mokhtari]], another poet at the Ghaznavid court of India, remarked, "Alive is Rustam through the epic of Ferdowsi, else there would not be a trace of him in this World".<ref>Persian: "زنده رستم به شعر فردوسی است / ور نه زو در جهان نشانه کجاست؟"</ref>
* [[Sanai]] believed that the foundation of poetry was really established by Ferdowsi.<ref>Persian: "چه نکو گفت آن بزرگ استاد / که وی افکند نظم را بنیاد"</ref>
* [[Nizami Ganjavi]] was influenced greatly by Ferdowsi and three of his five "treasures" had to do with pre-Islamic Persia.  His ''Khosro-o-Shirin'', ''[[Haft Peykar]]'' and ''[[Iskandarnameh of Nizami|Eskandar-nameh]]'' used the ''Shahnameh'' as a major source. Nizami remarks that Ferdowsi is "the wise sage of Tus" who beautified and decorated words like a new bride.<ref>Persian: "سخن گوی دانای پیشین طوسکه آراست روی سخن چون عروس"</ref>
* [[Khaqani]], the court poet of the [[Shirvanshah]], wrote of Ferdowsi: {{blockquote|The candle of the wise in this darkness of sorrow,<br />The pure words of Ferdowsi of the Tusi are such,<br />His pure sense is an angelic birth,<br />Angelic born is anyone who's like Ferdowsi.<ref>Persian: "شمع جمع هوشمندان است در دیجور غم / نکته ای کز خاطر فردوسی طوسی بود / زادگاه طبع پاکش جملگی حوراوش اند / زاده حوراوش بود چون مرد فردوسی بود"</ref>}}
* [[Attar of Nishapur|Attar]] wrote about the poetry of Ferdowsi: "Open eyes and through the sweet poetry see the heavenly eden of Ferdowsi."<ref>Persian: "باز کن چشم و ز شعر چون شکر / در بهشت عدن فردوسی نگر"</ref>
* In a famous poem, [[Saadi (poet)|Sa'adi]] wrote: {{blockquote|How sweetly has conveyed the pure-natured Ferdowsi,<br />May blessing be upon his pure resting place,<br />Do not harass the ant that's dragging a seed,<br />because it has life and sweet life is dear.<ref>Persian: "چه خوش گفت فردوسی پاکزاد / که رحمت بر آن تربت پاک باد / میازار موری که دانه کش است / که جان دارد و جان شیرین خوش است"</ref>}}
* In the ''Baharestan'', [[Jami]] wrote, "He came from Tus and his excellence, renown and perfection are well known. Yes, what need is there of the panegyrics of others to that man who has composed verses as those of the Shah-nameh?"

Many other poets, e.g., [[Hafez]], [[Rumi]] and other mystical poets, have used the imagery of ''Shahnameh'' heroes in their poetry.

=== Persian historiography ===
The ''Shahnameh''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s impact on Persian historiography was immediate, and some historians decorated their books with the verses of Shahnameh. Below is sample of ten important historians who have praised the ''Shahnameh'' and Ferdowsi:<ref name="Nurian 1993" />

# The unknown writer of the ''Tarikh Sistan'' ("History of [[Sistan]]") written around 1053
# The unknown writer of ''[[Majmal al-tawarikh|Majmal al-Tawarikh wa Al-Qasas]]'' ({{Circa|1126}})
# Mohammad Ali Ravandi, the writer of the ''Rahat al-Sodur wa Ayat al-Sorur'' ({{Circa|1206}})
# [[Ibn Bibi]], the writer of the history book, ''Al-Awamir al-'Alaiyah'', written during the era of [[Kayqubad I|'Ala ad-din KayGhobad]]
# Ibn Esfandyar, the writer of the ''Tarikh-e Tabarestan''
# [[Ata al-Mulk Juvayni|Muhammad Juwayni]], the early historian of the Mongol era in the ''Tarikh-e Jahan Gushay'' ([[Ilkhanid]] era)
# [[Hamdollah Mostowfi|Hamdollah Mostowfi Qazwini]] also paid much attention to the ''Shahnameh'' and wrote the ''[[Zafarnamah (Mustawfi)|Zafarnamah]]'' based on the same style in the Ilkhanid era
# [[Hafiz-i Abru|Hafez-e Abru]] (1430) in the ''Majma' al-Tawarikh''
# [[Muhammad Khwandamir|Khwand Mir]] in the ''[[Habib al-Siyar|Habab al-Siyar]]'' ({{Circa|1523}}) praised Ferdowsi and gave an extensive biography on Ferdowsi
# The Arab historian [[Ibn Athir]] remarks in his book, ''[[The Complete History|Al-Kamil]]'', that, "If we name it the Quran of ''<nowiki/>'Ajam'' [i.e., Persians], we have not said something in vain. If a poet writes poetry and the poems have many verses, or if someone writes many compositions, it will always be the case that some of their writings might not be excellent. But in the case of the ''Shahnameh'', despite having more than 40 thousand couplets, all its verses are excellent."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.qudsdaily.com/archive/1384/html/2/1384-02-25/page2.html |title=QudsDaily |access-date=2007-08-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928025851/http://www.qudsdaily.com/archive/1384/html/2/1384-02-25/page2.html |archive-date=2007-09-28 }}</ref>

=== Alexander legends ===
The ''Shahnameh'' contains the [[Alexander the Great in the Shahnameh|first Persian legend of Alexander the Great]] in the tradition of the [[Alexander Romance]]. Three sections of the ''Shahnameh'' are dedicated to Alexander, running over 2,500 verses in total, and Alexander's life is the work's turning point between mythic and historical rulers of Persia. It also represents a turning point of Persian-language representations of Alexander, from negative in pre-Islamic Zoroastrian writings to positive.<ref>{{Citation |last=Wiesehöfer |first=Josef |title=Chapter Five. The 'Accursed' And The 'Adventurer': Alexander The Great In Iranian Tradition |date=2011-01-01 |work=A Companion to Alexander Literature in the Middle Ages |pages=113–132 |url=https://brill.com/display/book/edcoll/9789004211933/Bej.9789004183452.i-410_006.xml |access-date=2024-03-11 |publisher=Brill |language=en |doi=10.1163/ej.9789004183452.i-410.56 |isbn=978-90-04-21193-3|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite book |last=Casari |first=Mario |title=Persian narrative poetry in the classical era, 800-1500: romantic and didactic genres |date=2023 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1-78673-664-2 |editor-last=Ashtiany |editor-first=Mohsen |series=A history of Persian literature / founding editor - Ehsan Yarshater |location=London New York Oxford New Delhi Sydney |pages=443–461 |chapter=The Alexander Legend in Persian Literature}}</ref> After the ''Shahnameh'' introduced the Alexander Romance tradition into Persian, the genre would become popular and numerous Alexander legends would be composed in the language, with the most significant works owing much to the ''Shahnameh''. These include the anonymous ''[[Iskandarnameh]]'', the [[Iskandarnameh (Nizami)|''Iskandarnameh'' of Nizami]], the ''[[Ayina-i Iskandari (Amir Khusrau)|Ayina-i Iskandari]]'' of [[Amir Khusrau]], and others.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Casari |first=Mario |title=Persian narrative poetry in the classical era, 800-1500: romantic and didactic genres |date=2023 |publisher=I.B. Tauris |isbn=978-1-78673-664-2 |editor-last=Ashtiany |editor-first=Mohsen |series=A history of Persian literature / founding editor - Ehsan Yarshater |location=London New York Oxford New Delhi Sydney |pages=491–504 |chapter=The Alexander Legend in Persian Literature}}</ref>