A Comparative Study of the Causes of the Decline of Governments in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and Bayhaqi’s History

Abstract

Government, in its broad sense, is a political and social system established with the aim of creating order, security, and justice within society and, through reliance on legitimate authority, organizing and administering the affairs of the state. Among Persian literary works, Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and Bayhaqi’s History are among the most prominent texts that reflect on the processes through which governments are established and decline. In the Shahnameh, Ferdowsi examines the decline of governments from a mythological and ethical perspective and regards factors such as oppression and lack of wisdom as causes of the downfall of kings. Bayhaqi, however, adopts a historical and realistic perspective, considering the decline of political power to be the consequence of structural political weaknesses, autocracy, and injustice. The present study employs a descriptive-analytical method and is based on the direct examination of the primary texts. Ultimately, the common conclusion of both works is that the stability and continuity of government depend on justice and wisdom, whereas injustice and autocracy constitute the beginning of the collapse of political power.