Editing Ardashir I (section)

=== Ardashir's Testament ===
''Ardashir's Testament'' is a book including Ardashir's political advice to the Iranian [[shah]]s who rose after him and he had mentioned lectures in it that he believed were necessary to be applied in running the kingdom.<ref name=":04" />

[[Ibn al-Nadim]] once mentioned a book called ''Ardashir's Testament'' that [[Al-Baladhuri]] (died 279 [[Islamic calendar|Hijri]]), one of [[Middle Persian|Persian (Middle)]] translators, had turned into an [[Arabic]] poem. Once again in the chapter about the books of the [[Persian people|Persians]], [[Roman Empire|Romans]], [[Indian people|Indians]] and [[Arabs]] in the preaches and ethics and doctrines, he mentioned a book called ''Ardashir I's Testament to His Son [[Shapur I|Shapur]]'' and it seems that he meant another book.<ref name=":04" />

The original Middle Persian text of ''Ardashir's Testament'' is lost; but some versions of its Arabic translations are available:
# The text that is written in the book ''Al-Ghorreh'' that was probably written in the second half of the fourth century and its author is not known. That version was rewritten in 584 Hijri.
# The text that is written in [[Miskawayh]]'s ''Tajarob-ol Omam''.
# The text that is written in a series belonging to the Kuperolo Library (No. 1608) and was probably rewritten from a sixth-century version in the early eleventh century.
# The text written by Abi.<ref name=":04" />
In addition to the complete text, there is an abridged version of it titled ''Montakhab men Ahd-e Ardashir bin Babak'' available.<ref name=":04" />

In the [[Islam]]ic era, ''Ardashir's Testament'' is mentioned in many history and literature books. [[Al-Masudi]] has remarked it and has quoted a phrase of its about the last millennium. It is also named in ''[[Mojmal al-tawarikh]]'' and ''Farsnameh'' and in the latter it is mentioned about [[Khosrow I]] that "he suggested the testaments of Ardashir, son of [[Papak]], and applied his preaches that were in that testament." The same matter is mentioned by [[Al-Tabari]] and [[Al-Tha'alibi]]. [[Al-Jahiz]] has mentioned ''Ardashir's Testament'' along with ''[[Bozorgmehr]]'s Quotes'' and mentions that the writers (Kottab) used it. [[Al-Mubarrad]] (died 286 Hijri) writes that [[Al-Ma'mun]] had ordered his son's mentor to teach him ''Al-Watheg bellah'' the book of God and read him ''Ardashir's Testament'' and force him to memorize ''Kelileh va Demneh''.<ref name=":04" />