The Presence of Iranshahri Political Thought in Islamic Period

Iranshahri political thought is one of the most significant features of Iranian intellectual tradition. Rooted in ancient Iranian tradition of kingdom, this political doctrine presents a conception of political rule which is different from classical Islamic political philosophy inspired by Greek philosophers. Although the source of this doctrine is pre- Islamic Iranian civilization, one can claim that it has been continued in different forms and we can follow its traces left everywhere in Iranian intellectual history from the beginning to the present.So, study of this tradition requires a specific method of research which could explain transformation and unity of its elements. This paper aims to study the various versions of iranshahri political thought in Islamic period, especially in its middle ages, and to show different aspects of it crystallized in Muslim thinker’s political treatises. The theory of “cultural continuation of Persia” constitutes the theoretical foundation of this research and try to elucidate Islamic conceptions of iranshahri political doctrine, and “Farr” as its key concept, in the light of this theory suggested by leading figures like H. Corbin and R. Frye. We claim that the versions of iranshahri political thought in Islamiccivilization can be divided in five main categories representing five conceptions of Farr -e- izadi. These five categories are represented in epic poems, mystic texts, philosophical treatises, Illuminationist wisdom and Iranian mirrors for princes.