A Literary History Of Persia

Browne's famous work, first published in 1902, was the essential text on literary history in Persian studies for many years. As an overview of Persian literature from the earliest times until Firdawsi, it continues to be a valuable reference. Out of print for some time, it is now reissued as a library edition, in facsimile to capture the feel of the original edition.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Integrating forgotten tales of literary communities across Iran, Afghanistan and South Asia - at a time when Islamic empires were fracturing and new state formations were emerging - this book offers a more global understanding of Persian literary culture in the 18th and 19th centuries. It challenges the manner in which Iranian nationalism has infilitrated Persian literary history writing and recovers the multi-regional breadth and vibrancy of a global lingua franca connecting peoples and places across Islamic Eurasia. Focusing on 3 case studies (18th-century Isfahan, a small court in South India and the literary climate of the Anglo-Afghan war), it reveals the literary and cultural ties that bound this world together as well as some of the trends that broke it apart.

Browne's famous work, first published in 1902, was the essential text on literary history in Persian studies for many years. As an overview of Persian literature from the earliest times until Firdawsi, it continues to be a valuable reference. Out of print for some time, it is now reissued as a library edition, in facsimile to capture the feel of the original edition.

Nearly a hundred years since its publication, E. G. Browne's A Literary History of Persia remains a classic work in English on the subject. Spanning four volumes, it took Browne over 25 years to write and whilst it concentrates on Persian literature, it surveys many aspects of Persian culture from pre-history to the twentieth century. Volume one covers the period from the earliest periods of Persian history until Firdawsi (AD 935-1020) a highly revered poet. Volume two looks at the early medieval period and in particular on the poet Saadi (1184-1283). Volume three focuses on the Tartar Dominion (1265-1502) and volume four 'Modern Times' covers from 1500 to 1924. A remarkable achievement upon first publication, Cambridge University Press is pleased to be able to bring its edition of this seminal work back into print.