The Hazaraspid Dynasty’s Legendary Kayanid Ancestry: the Flowering of Persian Literature under the Patronage of Local Rulers in the Late Il-khanid Period

Abstract

This article discusses the flowering of Persian literature under the patronage of the Hazaraspid Nosrat al-Din, the local ruler of Lorestan in the late Il-khanid period. It is generally accepted that Persian literature evolved dramatically under the patronage of Mongol Il-khanid rulers. However, little research deals with the contribution of local rulers to this evolution. Persian literary works offered to Nosrat al-Din present him as a descendant of the legendary Kayanid kings and celebrate him as an ideal ruler who combined the characteristics of a Persian and an Islamic ruler. While accepting the suzerainty of the Il-khanids, Nosrat al-Din justified his power by emphasizing his identity as a Persian ruler by patronizing such cultural activities. This study presents a case where the growing awareness of a local ruler as a legitimate Persian ruler under Mongol domination contributed to the evolution of Persian literature at the time.