Rustam in the context of "Persianate societies"

⭐ In the context of Persianate societies, the term itself—coined by Marshall Hodgson—is best understood as describing…

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⭐ Core Definition: Rustam

Rostam or Rustam (Persian: رستم [rosˈtæm]) is an Iranian legendary hero in Persian mythology, the son of Zāl and Rudaba, whose life and work was immortalized by the 10th-century Persian poet Ferdowsi in the Shahnameh, or Epic of Kings, which contains pre-Islamic Iranian folklore and history. However, the roots of the narrative date much earlier.

In the Shahnameh, Rostam and his predecessors are Marzbans of Sistan (present-day Iran and Afghanistan). Rostam is best known for his tragic fight with Esfandiyār, the other legendary Iranian hero; for his expedition to Mazandaran (not to be confused with the modern Mazandaran Province). He is also known for the story of his Seven Labours.

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👉 Rustam in the context of Persianate societies

A Persianate society is a society that is based on or strongly influenced by the Persian language, culture, literature, art or identity.

The term "Persianate" is a neologism credited to Marshall Hodgson. In his 1974 book, The Venture of Islam: The expansion of Islam in the Middle Periods, he defined it thus: "The rise of Persian had more than purely literary consequences: it served to carry a new overall cultural orientation within Islamdom.... Most of the more local languages of high culture that later emerged among Muslims... depended upon Persian wholly or in part for their prime literary inspiration. We may call all these cultural traditions, carried in Persian or reflecting Persian inspiration, 'Persianate' by extension."

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Rustam in the context of Mazandaran (Shahnameh)

Mâzandarân (Persian: مازندران, ultimately from Middle Persian: ), is an important place known as Devil's Land whose name is mentioned 63 times in the Shahnameh, the national epic of Greater Iran. There are references to the Mazandaran of legend not only in the Shahnameh, but also in the much older Avesta.

It is not clear where Mazandaran was located – various places have been suggested. Some scholars believe that Mazandaran was a region in India, others believe that Mazandaran is in the Levant or Egypt, but there is no consensus between scholars.

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