A Rostam in New Garb? On “Shāhnāmian” Masculinities in the ʿAlīnāmeh

The ʿAlīnāmeh, written by a certain Rabīʿ in 1089 CE, is an unusually early example of an ʿAlid religious epic. This 11’000 line poem features ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭāleb as its main character and relates the events of the Battle of the Camel (656 CE) and the Battle of Ṣiffīn (657 CE). Composed only decades after Ferdowsī’s Shāhnāmeh, the ʿAlīnāmeh exhibits rich intertextual references to Ferdowsī’s epic. At the same time, the poet clearly sets himself apart from the Shāhnāmeh: In his view, the Shāhnāmeh is entertaining, yet nothing but falsehood (dorūgh) compared with his report of ʿAlī’s true deeds.
Although the Shāhnāmeh as a text is regarded by Rabīʿ as mere legend, its heroes are readily referenced as examples of strength and valor when it comes to his portrayal of ʿAlī. At the same time, ʿAlī as a religious figure transcends the Shahnamian heroic characterization, as he is both a hero in epic terms, but also a virtuous holy figure. This paper explores how the ʿAlīnāmeh sets him apart from the warriors of the Shāhnāmeh to create an ideal of an Iranian religious masculinity.
Based on the scholarship of Shafiʿī Kadkanī and others, this paper analyzes the ʿAlīnāmeh’s intertextualities with Ferdowsī’s Shāhnāmeh through the lens of the study of men and masculinities. It discusses the ʿAlīnāmeh as a product of a literary culture that was informed by the Shāhnāmeh even though its subject matter – two of the most important battles in early Islam – completely differs from the Iranian royal chronicle.