The Basis of Iranian Identity Continuation in Shahnameh Narratives

During the history, Iranians have experienced devastating wars, which each one was enough to fade them from history. The defeat of the Achaemenid and Sassanid empires are just two instances, nonetheless they became victorious finally. Each war has a great impact on Iranian Identity. A deeper look into Shahnameh, reveals this identity crisis. In this study we try to investigate this issue. According to Shahnameh, establishment of a strong central government and reproduction of structures after each war was the main reason for keeping Iranian civilization. Governments by means of war and culture, tried to activate the attitude of aliens. Ferdowsi added the language to these factors. Restoration and preservation of persian language, especially in fall of Sassanid Empire, leads to strengthen the historical memory of Iranians. Hence, the present study refers to Shahnameh's text and domination of Greeks and Muslim Arabs on Iranian order to test its hypothesis.