History of Persian Literature 3600-7-IR3-HLP(L)

FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBJECT: The lecture has as its main objective making students familiar with the legacy of the Persian literature which is one of the oldest in the world, tracing its earliest accounts back at least as far as 3000 years ago when the so called Older Avesta was composed. The literary output of the Old Iranian period would constitute the first part of the present course where the question of Aryans’ oral literature in the Pre-Avestan times and its traces in the Avesta itself as well as its relation with the oldest literary texts of India (Rigveda, Vedas) is discussed. Then texts of the extant Avestan corpus including the Older and Younger Avesta with stress on their linguistic and substantial peculiarities and differences. The question of literary genres in the Avestan texts and origins of the Avestan language as well as the issue of the original dwelling area of the so called Avestan people i.e. the users of the language preserved in this sacred scripture. The Avesta as a part of the Zoroastrian religious tradition and its later influence up to the modern times. The Avestan writing system and dating of attempts of putting Avesta’s oral tradition into written form from the late Sasanian period onwards.
The lecture then covers the Achaemenian period and its literary heritage in the Old Persian language. Relationship between the Avestan and Old Persian language and literature. The issue of Achaemenids’ approach towards the Zoroastrianism and its traces in the extant OP texts. The characteristics of extant OP texts and their analysis in terms of a relic of language, cultre, and literature. Discourse of preservation or lack of preservation of the Achaemenian literary and cultural tradition in the next periods. Its influence on development of the Iranian culture in the modern times. Relics of literature (oral tradition) in other Iranian languages of the Old Iranian period. Evolving of the Middle Iranian languages and decline of Achaemenian tradition in Iran in the Post-Macedonian and Parthian times (loosening of the cultural continuity). Oral tradition of the Arsacids and dawn of the classical Iranian epic.
The next part of the course is dedicated to the literature of the Middle Iranian period putting stress on the Middle Persian or Pahlavi literature, origin of its language and its nexus with Old Persian. Main characteristics of the Middle Persian literature of Sasanian period is then given: mostly religious characteristic and strong ties with the Avestan tradition. Prevailing genres of the MP literature: commentaries on the Avesta, religious treaties, traditions, mythology, legal and scientific treaties, secular literature (court and instructive literature), traces of epic and didactic poetry. Middle Persian literature of the Islamic period. Relics of the official state literature: royal inscriptions and official correspondence. Christian literature in Middle Persian. Parthian texts and documents, Manichaean literature and Christian psalters. Relics of literary output in other Middle Iranian languages: Bactrian, Sogdian, Scytho-Khotanese. The cultural background of the Eastern part of the Iranian world on the eve of the Arab conquest. Traces of the Middle Persian literature in Arabic and Persian literature of the Islamic period and its importance in reconstruction of the literary and cultural heritage of Pre-Islamic Iran. Significance of the Middle Iranian literature and culture for the Iranian civilization of the Islamic period.
The earliest evidences of the New Persian language and literature during the so called “age of silence“ after the Arab conquest (7th-9th centuries). First period of great literary and cultural development in Iran (9th-11th centuries).

Term 2024L:

Term 2025L:

The course offers an in-depth introduction to the history of the main literary currents in Iran from the nineteenth century to the present, encompassing both modernizing processes and the complex transformations within Persian-language culture. It presents key moments in the transition from classical forms of writing to modern literature, highlighting the evolution of genres, themes, and narrative strategies in relation to the dynamic social, political, and intellectual changes that have shaped Iran’s literary landscape over the past two centuries.

Particular emphasis is placed on the development of modern literary forms—above all prose, including the short story, the novel, and the essay—which have become important media for reflecting on issues such as identity, modernization, the relationship between the individual and the state, and the experiences of everyday life. The course examines works by both the pioneers of modern Persian literature and authors representing subsequent waves of artistic innovation, including those addressing questions of gender, migration, and generational change. Attention is also given to the influence of major historical events—such as the Constitutional Revolution, the Pahlavi era, and the 1979 Revolution—on the emergence of new modes of literary expression.

An integral part of the course consists of the analysis and interpretation of selected texts (or excerpts), read either in the original or in Polish or English translation. The readings include works by some of the most important contemporary Iranian writers, enabling participants to engage with a wide range of artistic perspectives and the rich spectrum of themes explored by authors working both in Iran and in the diaspora.

The course aims to illuminate the intricate connections between literature and Iran’s intellectual history, and to reflect on the role of literature in shaping public debate, collective memory, and both individual and communal identities. Another significant dimension of the course is its focus on the intermedial links between literature and other forms of artistic expression—such as cinema, theatre, photography, and the visual arts—which helps to reveal how literary ideas and narratives permeate the broader cultural landscape of contemporary Iran.

Prerequisites (description)

PRECONDITIONS: Knowledge and skills corresponding to the course of Persian language, history of Iran, and Persian culture and literature taught during the first and second years of the BA programme in Iranian Studies.

Course coordinators

Term 2024L:

Mirosław Michalak

Term 2025L:

Piotr Bachtin

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

Classroom

Learning outcomes

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Following completion of this course students should have acquired the following knowledge, skills and competence:
KNOWLEDGE:
- has basic knowledge in the range of theory of humanities (literary studies or linguistics or history) necessary to understand chosen cultural aspects [K_W04];
- has detailed and organized knowledge of literature and writings of Iran/Afghanistan; can name and characterize most important phenomena/trends/literary texts/writings of Iran/Afghanistan [K_W05];
- can name and characterize basic cultural phenomena of Iran/Afghanistan [K_W10];
- has rudimentary knowledge of translation rules from Persian into Polish [K_W15];
- demonstrates basic grasp of contemporary cultural life of Iran/Afghanistan [K_W16];
- knows and understands basic analysis and interpretation methods of various products of culture characteristic of chosen theories and schools of research within the scope of cultural and literary studies, linguistics, philosophy and religion studies and history [K_W18];
- knows and understands basic analysis and interpretation methods of various products of culture characteristic of local traditions in Iran/Afghanistan [K_W19].
SKILLS:
- can indicate sources of cultural differences between the countries of the Orient or Africa [K_U02];
- can read, analyze and interpret literary texts and other works of culture (film, press, social writing) of a chosen region in Iran/Afghanistan and appropriately place them in their cultural context [K_U06];
- can compare and perceive interrelations between chosen literary texts and other works of culture (film, press, social writing) of a chosen region in Iran/Afghanistan and the issues within the scope of tradition and modern times [K_U07];
- can analyze most important phenomena/trends in art (painting, sculpture, architecture, other fields) of Iran/Afghanistan [K_U08];
- can indicate most important intellectual problems, dilemmas, aesthetic preferences taking shape inside the culture of Iran/Afghanistan [K_U10];
- can translate literary texts and writings from Persian language into Polish [K_U14];
- can interpret key terms from a chosen culture of Iran/Afghanistan through linguistic/philological analysis [K_U15];
- can properly function in the linguistic and cultural environment of a chosen region in Iran/Afghanistan [K_U17];
- has a skill in presenting detailed aspects within the scope of cultural issues of Iran/Afghanistan in Polish and in Persian language taking into consideration the intellectual tradition of Iran/Afghanistan [K_U21].
SOCIAL COMPETENCE:
- understands the need to learn all one’s life [K_K01];
- can set appropriate goals and ways to achieve them in the context of academic, professional and social activity [K_K04];
- has awareness of the cultural distinctness and its religious, philosophical, traditional and historical roots and its significance for understanding modern world [K_K05];
- sees the need of dialogue between cultures [K_K06];
- is aware of significance the culture of the countries in the Orient or Africa have for the culture of the world [K_K07];
- acts in aid of sharing and promoting cultural and linguistic heritage of Iran/Afghanistan [K_K08];
- perceives the positive socio-cultural values of Iran/Afghanistan and possibility to use them in own personal development and effective intercultural communication [K_K09].

Assessment criteria

ASSESSMENT METHODS AND CRITERIA:
- continuous assessment;
- dedicated paper (if needed);
- attendance control;
- oral examination.

Bibliography

M. Składankowa, Kultura Perska, Warszawa 1995
M. Składankowa, Zrozumieć Iran, Warszawa 1996
J. Rypka, Historia literatury perskiej i tadżyckiej, Warszawa 1970
J. Rypka, The History of Iranian Literature, Dordrecht 1968
E. G. Browne, A Literary History of Persia, Cambridge 1956

Term 2024L:

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
M. Składankowa, Kultura Perska, Warszawa 1995
M. Składankowa, Zrozumieć Iran, Warszawa 1996
J. Rypka, Historia literatury perskiej i tadżyckiej, Warszawa 1970
J. Rypka, The History of Iranian Literature, Dordrecht 1968
E. G. Browne, A Literary History of Persia, Cambridge 1956

Term 2025L:

J. Rypka, Historia literatury perskiej i tadżyckiej, Warszawa 1970
J. Rypka, The History of Iranian Literature, Dordrecht 1968
E. G. Browne, A Literary History of Persia, Cambridge 1956
texts selected by a teacher

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 3600-7-IR3-HLP(L) in USOSweb