BOT, a term which appears frequently in poetry with meanings ranging from an idol in the literal sense to a…

BORZŪ-NĀMA, an epic poem of ca. 65,000 lines recounting the exploits and adventures of the legendary hero Borzū, son of…

BĪŽAN-NAMA, an epic poem of ca. 1,900 lines relating the adventures of the legendary hero Bīžan son of Gīv. Two…

BĀZGAŠT-E ADABĪ, “literary return,” a move­ment for a return to writing poetry in the Ḵorāsānī and ʿErāqī styles, which began…

Bāḡ appears both as an object of description and as the prime source of nature imagery in Persian literature. As…

Bahrām V Gōr in Persian Legend and Literature The growth of legends around prominent figures is familiar in Persian literature,…

BAḴTĪĀR-NĀMA, an example of early New Persian prose fiction in the form of a frame story and nine included tales,…

BAHMAN-NĀMA, epic poem of about 9,500 lines recounting the adventures of Bahman son of Esfandīār (q.v.). The earliest mention of…

ĀRAŠ, Avestan ƎRƎXŠA, Middle Persian ĒRAŠ, a heroic archer in Iranian legend. i. In older literature. ii. In modern literature….

ANJOMAN (gathering, association, society), general designation of many private and public associations: i. Political (anǰoman-e sīāsī). ii. Religious (anǰoman-e maḏhabī)….

AMĪR ARSALĀN, a prose romance of the genre dāstānhā-ye ʿammīāna, “popular tales.” The story was composed by Mīrzā Moḥammad ʿAlī…

ĀBĀNDOḴT, character in the prose romance Dārābnāma of Abū Ṭāher Moḥammad b. Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Mūsā al-Ṭarsūsī (q.v.), a storyteller…

ANGŪR, grapes. i. Production and trade. ii. In Afghanistan. iii. In literature. i. Production and Trade Origins and historical evolution….

DĀSTĀN-SARĀʾĪ (storytelling), term used for written and oral genres of fictional narrative. Other terms used for the same genres include…

ʿAYYĀR, a noun meaning literally “vagabond,” applied to members of medieval fotowwa (fotūwa) brotherhoods and comparable popular organizations. i. General….

SIĀQ is a system of numerical notation, one of several different historical systems of Persianate numeracy. It has also been…

FĪRŪZŠĀH-NĀMA, pre-Safavid prose romance. The hero is Fīrūzšāh, son of Dārāb of the Kayanid house. The earliest surviving version was…

ESKANDAR-NĀMA, Alexander the Great and the adventure tale about him known generically as the Alexander romance. Eskandar -nāmaexists in many…

DĀRĀB-NĀMA, prose romance of the 12th century, by Abū Ṭāher Moḥammad b. Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Mūsā Ṭārsūsī (or Ṭarṭūsī),…

BĪḠAMĪ, MAWLĀNĀ SHAIKH ḤĀJĪ MOḤAMMAD b. Shaikh Aḥmad b. Mawlānā ʿAlī b. Ḥājī Moḥammad Ṭāherī (or Ṭāmerī), oral storyteller of…

HOMĀM-AL-DIN B. ʿALĀʾ TABRIZI, Persian poet of the Il-Khanid period. His name can be established on the basis of one…