Conditions of Firdausi's era Influencing the Composition of the Shahnameh

The Shahnameh of Firdausi has been regarded as the Iranian national epic and as a treasure trove in which Iranians can find their identity. The epic was created when the time was ripe for the poetical recomposition of oral anecdotes and for the artistic reformulation of ancient traditions handed down by the cultural guards of our national identity without interruption even during the Islamic period. Although peasant farmers played a key role in the narration of traditions، Firdausi`s power as an epic author served as the main reason for the composition of our national epic and the creation of the eternal work of art in a way that Iran`s ancient traditions could be preserved in the most elegant way. As for the reason for the creation of this great epic، the researcher can ask the following question: What contributed to the composition of the Shahnameh? (Only the overflowing creative talent of Firdausi and his pure nationalistic sense of duty، or the conditions of the poet`s time as well?) The present paper explains the political، social، religious، literary، and cultural conditions of Firdausi`s time and their contributing effects on the creation of the Shahnameh، with the findings showing that the well-known epic was the result، and the function، of Firdausi`s time.