Iranian Influence on Moslem Literature, Part I

The book offers a meticulous study of how Iranian cultural and literary traditions endured within Arabic writings after the Arab conquest, challenging the long‑held belief that Persia’s pre‑Islamic heritage vanished completely. It shows that Arabic historians, geographers, poets and translators repeatedly drew on Sasanian and Zoroastrian sources, preserving a rich legacy in their works. Drawing on the pioneering Russian scholarship of Professor Inostrantsev, the translation presents the main arguments together with extensive appendices that bring the often‑overlooked Arabic material to light.

Key chapters examine Arabic writers as sources of Sasanian culture, the role of the Parsi clergy in safeguarding tradition, and the unmistakable Iranian threads woven through Arabic adab literature. Detailed sections trace how Arab scholars translated Pahlavi texts, adapted Persian historiography, and incorporated Zoroastrian motifs into their own narratives. The supplemental appendices provide concrete examples—such as independent Zoroastrian princes of Tabaristan, Iranian material in renowned Arabic works, and preserved letters—offering listeners vivid evidence of a cultural dialogue that shaped early Islamic literature.