The Kite Runner

1
The Kite Runner

• By Khaled Hosseini

2
Biography Early Childhood

• Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan
• His father worked with the Afghan Foreign
  Ministry
• His mother taught taught Farsi and History at a
  girls high school
• In 1970, Hosseini moved with his parents to
  Paris, France
• In 1973 the family returned to Kabul
• In 1980 the family sought political asylum in The
  United States

3
Biography - Education

• Hosseini graduated high school in 1984
• Obtained his bachelors degree in biology from
  Santa Clara University in 1988
• Earned his medical degree in 1993 from the
  University of California

4
Biography Interesting Facts

• In June 2006 he was awarded the 2006 Humanitarian
  Award from the UN Refugee Agency. There are
  currently more than 3.6 million paperback copies
  of The Kite Runner in print

5
Biography - Influences

• As a child, Hosseini read a great deal of Persian
  poetry as well as Persian translations of novels
• His memories of peaceful pre-Soviet era
  Afghanistan, as well as his personal experiences
  with Afghan Hazaras, led to the writing of The
  Kite Runner

Statue of Khayyam, Persian poet and philosopher
at his mausoleum in Neyshabur.
6
Biography - Novels

• The Kite Runner is Hosseinis first novel
• It is also the first novel published in English
  by an Afghan
• The novel, tells the story of two young boys in
  an Afghanistan that precedes the bloody communist
  coup, Soviet invasion, and the rise of the
  Taliban. The novel traverses decadesand
  continentsbringing American readers into a world
  theyve rarely glimpsed, of violence and poverty
  and tragic betrayal. At the same time, its a
  universal tale of friendship, redemption and
  profound hope.
• The novel was the number three best seller for
  2005 in the United States
• A movie by the same name is set to be released in
  November 2007
• A Thousand Splendid Suns is due to be released in
  May of 2007

7
Biography Perspective on American Agenda in
Afghanistan

• The two major issues in Afghanistan are a lack of
  security outside Kabul (particularly in the South
  and East) and the powerful warlords ruling over
  the provinces with little or no allegiance to the
  central government.
• The other rapidly rising concern is the narcotic
  trade which, if not dealt with, may turn
  Afghanistan into another Bolivia or Colombia.
• Equally important is the lack of cultivable land
  for farmers
• Afghanistan has always largely been an
  agricultural country, and that even before the
  wars destroyed lands and irrigation canals, only
  5 per cent of the land was cultivable.
• The Bush administration tripled
  
  its aid package to Afghanistan.
  Karzai
  finally (and courageously)
  announced that warlords
  will be
  forbidden from holding office in
  the future
  government.
• NATO agreed to expand the
  peacekeeping forces to
  troubled
  areas outside of Kabul

8
Biography - Links

• http//www.newsline.com.pk/newsnov2003/newsbeat4no
  v.htm
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaled_Hosseini
• http//www.khaledhosseini.com/
• http//www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm?au
  thor_number900
• http//www.scu.edu/visitors/speaker2.cfm
• http//www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/45d574692.html

9
The People and Cultural Atmosphere
of Afghanistan

• English 4U The Kite Runner

10
Culture Definition(s)

• The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a
  particular social, racial or ethnic group. (ie.
  Pashtun)
• Also, a particular form or stage of civilization
  (as it pertains to the development of a nation).
• Further, the development or improvement of the
  mind by education or training. (ie. Miss McKee is
  cultured!)

11
Map 1 of Afghanistan
12
Introduction

• Afghanistan lies across ancient trade and
  invasion routes from central Asia into India.
  This geographic position has been the greatest
  influence on its history and culture. Invaders
  often came there and stayed.

13
Trade Route The Silk Road
14
Ancient City Gates
15
Present Population

• For the most part, Afghans are farmers, although
  a significant minority follows a nomadic
  lifestyle. In the years since the Soviet invasion
  and the later civil war, a large number of
  Afghans have fled the country and become refugees
  in neighboring nations, most typically in Iran
  and Pakistan.
• Present Estimates place Afghanistans population
  at approx. 25 million

16
The Afghans

• The population of Afghanistan is comprised of a
  variety of ethnic groups called Afghans.
• The largest of these groups are
• - Pashtun
• - Tajiks
• - Hazara

17
Borders? What Borders?

• The people of Afghanistan are related to many of
  the ethnic groups in Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan,
  Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan the borders drawn
  between these groups are arbitrary.

18
The Pashtuns

• The Pashtuns (Pushtuns), who make up the majority
  of the population, have traditionally been the
  dominant ethnic group. Their homeland lies south
  of the Hindu Kush, although Pashtun groups live
  in all parts of the country.
• Male Pashtuns live by ancient tribal code called
  Pashtunwali, which stresses courage, personal
  honor, resolution, self-reliance, and
  hospitality. The Pashtuns speak Pashto, which is
  one of the two official languages of Afghanistan.

19
Pashtun Rider
20
The Tajiks

• The Tajiks (Tadzhiks), are the second largest
  ethnic group in Afghanistan. They live in the
  valleys north of Kabul and in Badakhshan. They
  are farmers, artisans, and merchants. The Tajiks
  speak Dari (Afghan Persian), the 2nd official
  language.

21
An Artisan of Badakhshan
22
The Hazaras

• In the central ranges live the Hazaras. Although
  their ancestors came from a region in
  northwestern China, the Hazaras speak an archaic
  (old) Persian. Most are poor farmers and
  sheepherders.
• The Hazaras have long been discriminated against.
  In part, this is because they are minority
  Shiites (followers of Shia Islam) within a
  dominant Sunni Muslim population.
• Most Hazaras live north of the Kabul River in an
  isolated, wooded, mountainous region known as
  Noristan.

23
North of the Kabul River
24
The Hazaras

• The Hazaras are of particular importance in our
  study of The Kite Runner for reasons that will
  become apparent as you read the novel.

25
Religious Divisions

• The strongest tie among these various ethnic
  groups is their religion Islam. The majority of
  Afghans (99 percent) are Muslims.
• The population is thus split along religious
  lines Sunni (84) and Shia (15).

• Each of these two religious groups has its own
  set of beliefs and traditions. Ostensibly, each
  has its own culture.
• Note The minority Shiites are made up of the
  Hazaras and Tajiks, whereas the Sunnis are
  Pashtun.

26
Behaviors and Beliefs
27
Islam

• An outline of the belief system of Islam is far
  beyond the scope of this presentation, of course,
  though indeed we can list some major tenets, as
  well as some differences between Sunni and Shia
  Muslims.

28
from the Quran

• The Messenger of God said, Islam is built on
  five pillars bearing witness that there is no
  god but God and Muhammad is His prophet,
  establishing the prayer, giving zakat, hajj, and
  fasting during Ramadan.

29
The Five Pillars of Islam

• The Testimony of Faith (Shahadah) - the
  declaration that there is none worthy of worship
  except Allah (God) and that Muhammad is his
  messenger.
• Ritual Prayer (Salat) - establishing of the five
  daily Prayers.
• Obligatory almsgiving (Zakat) - which is
  generally 2.5 of the total savings for a rich
  man working in trade or industry, and 10 or 20
  of the annual produce for agriculturists. This
  money or produce is distributed among the poor.
• Fasting (Sawm) from sunrise to sunset during
  the holy month of Ramadan.
• The Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj) - this is done
  during the month of Zul Hijjah, and is compulsory
  once in a lifetime for one who has the ability to
  do it. If the Muslim is in ill health or in debt,
  he or she is not required to perform Hajj.).
  Note Mecca is in Saudi Arabia.

30
Sunni vs. Shia in Afghanistan

• Sunni Muslims comprise the vast majority of the
  population of Afghanistan.
• Shiites are in the minority and suffer under the
  domination of the stronger group.
• Elsewhere in the world, this is often reversed.
  In Iran, for example, Shiites are the more
  powerful group.
• To complicate things, a minority group can also
  have the power as was the case in Iraq, and is
  still is in places such as Bahrain.

31
Disagreement among Muslims?
32
Sunni vs. Shia Continued

• Shia Muslims believe that the descendents from
  Muhammad through his beloved daughter Fatima
  Zahra and his son-in-law Ali (the Imams) were the
  best source of knowledge about the Qur'an and
  Islam, the most trusted carriers and protectors
  of Muhammad's traditions.
• In particular, Shia Muslims recognize the
  authority of Ali - Muhammad's cousin, son-in-law,
  and the first young man to accept Islam. He is
  the father of the Prophet Muhammad's only
  bloodline.
• This is directly opposed to that of the caliphate
  recognized by Sunni Muslims. Shia Muslims
  believe that Ali was appointed successor by
  Muhammad's direct order on many occasions, and
  that he is therefore the rightful leader of the
  Muslim faith.

33
The Caliphs (Sunni Tradition)

• A Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and
  the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, or
  global Islamic nation. It means "successor" or
  "representative".
• The early leaders of the Muslim nation following
  Muhammad's (570632) death were called "Khalifat
  ar-rasul Allah", meaning the political successor
  to the prophet of God.
• After the first four caliphs, the title was
  claimed by various political leaders including
  the Ottomans, and at times, by competing
  dynasties in Spain, Northern Africa, and Egypt.
  Most historical Muslim governors were called
  sultans or amirs, and gave allegiance to a
  caliph.

34
The Issue

• It is this issue of political succession vs.
  that of rightful authority that has divided the
  Muslim world for centuries.
• This issue has been the cause of many civil wars
  (like that in Afghanistan in the 1990s).
• Note The civil antagonism presently brewing in
  Iraq is essentially over this very issue.
• Warwhat is it good for? Absolutely nothing! Say
  it again

35
Welcome to the world of The Kite Runner
36
A World of Conflict, Struggle and Lost Innocence
37
Some Afghan Proverbs

• A real friend is one who takes the hand of his
  friend in time of distress and helplessness.
• One flower does not bring spring.

• No rose is without thorns.
• The first day you meet, you are friends. The next
  day you meet, you are brothers.

38
End
39
References

• http//dictionary.reference.com
• http//www.afghanistans.com
• http//avalon.unomaha.edu/afghan/afghanistan
• http//en.wikipedia.org

40
A Brief History of Afghanistan

• English 4U The Kite Runner

41
The Middle of the World

• Afghanistan's history its political
  development, foreign relations, and indeed, its
  very existence as a state- has largely been
  determined by its geographic location at the
  crossroads of Central, West, and South Asia.

42
Map 1 Asia
43
Ancient Crossroads

• Since the dawn of prehistory, waves of migrating
  peoples have passed through the region described
  by historian Arnold Toynbee as a "roundabout of
  the ancient world, leaving behind a story of
  conquest and retribution, conquest and
  retribution...

44
Map 2 Afghanistan
45
The Terrain

• Afghanistan is shaped roughly like a clenched
  fist with the thumb extended out to the
  northeast. The country covers an area of about
  650,000 sq km. Its maximum length from east to
  west is about 1250 km from north to south
  approx.1000 km.
• The northwestern, western, and southern borders
  are primarily desert plains and rocky ranges,
  whereas the southeast and northeast borders rise
  progressively higher into the major,
  glacier-covered peaks of the Hindu Kush - an
  extension of the western Himalayas.
• Only the northern border is formed by a river,
  the Amu Darya.

46
The Terrain 2
47
Afghan History A Tournament of Shadows

• It is safe to think of Afghanistan as the center
  square of a chess board. In its long history,
  the region has rarely known peace for any
  substantial period of time. Afghanistan has been
  invaded from all sides.
• Any outline of the History of Afghanistan will
  necessarily focus on vast armies of the world
  passing through the territory, temporarily
  establishing local control in an endless
  tournament of shadows.
• "Frontiers are the razor's edge on which hang
  suspended the issue of war or peace and the life
  of nations. Lord Curzon

48
Soviet Era Tanks
49
Pre-Historical (The Stone Age)

• Archaeologists have identified evidence of stone
  age technology around present day Kabul.
• Settlement remains at the foothills of the Hindu
  Kush mountains indicate that Northern Afghanistan
  was one of the earliest places on earth to
  domesticate plants and animals.

50
Historical Firsts

• Zoroastrianism - the worlds first monotheistic
  system of belief was founded in Afghanistan.
  Judaism and Christianity would later borrow many
  ideas from this religion (including that of
  Heaven and Hell).
• It has been indicated that Bronze (an alloy of
  copper and tin) may have been invented in ancient
  Afghanistan 3000 years BCE.
• Many Historians believe that the earliest great
  civilizations (Babylonia, India, Egypt, Persia)
  were started by people (the Aryans) who migrated
  from and through Afghanistan.

51
Persian Ruins (Iran)

• The meaning of the word Iran is the country of
  Aryans. Iranians have always, from ancient
  times, referred to themselves as Aryans. This
  term has been used by Imperialist European
  nations (unjustly?) since the 1830s in an attempt
  to establish an historical link to the ancient
  cultures of the past.

52
Pre-Islamic Period (pre- 651 CE)

• Afghanistan's known pre-Islamic past began with
  Aryan invasions around 2000 BC and continued with
  Persian, Median and Greek conquests.
• Following the defeat of the Persians in 329 BC,
  Alexander the Great entered the territory of
  modern Afghanistan to capture Bactria
  (present-day Balkh). Invasions by the Scythians,
  White Huns, and Turks followed in succeeding
  centuries.
• During Kushan rule (100-250 CE), Afghanistan
  became a great center of culture and learning.
  When the Kushan Empire faded, The Sassanians and
  other Persian powers ruled most of Afghanistan
  until the coming of Muslim armies (mid-7th
  century CE).

53
Alexander in Persia

• Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king
  Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 4th century BC
  original Greek painting now lost)

54
Islamic Conquests

• The invasion of Persia was complete five years
  after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
  All of the Persian territories came under Arab
  control, though pockets of tribal resistance
  continued for centuries.
• During the 7th century CE, Arab armies from Sinai
  made their way into the region of Afghanistan
  with the new religion of Islam.

55
Islamic Empire?

• The Islamic conquest of Persia (637-653) led to
  the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion
  in Persia. However, the achievements of the
  previous Persian civilizations were not lost, but
  were to a great extent absorbed by the new
  Islamic polity.
• Over the next 500 years, an Islamic culture took
  hold of the region (under the authority of a
  Caliphate), its influence extending in an uneasy
  empire from India to Spain.

56
Caliphate in Afghanistan
57
The Mongols

• By 1219 the empire had fallen to the Mongols.
• Led by Genghis Khan, the invasion resulted in
  massive slaughter of the population, destruction
  of many cities, including Herat, Ghazni, and
  Balkh, and the despoliation of fertile
  agricultural areas. Following Genghis Khan's
  death in 1227, a succession of petty chiefs and
  princes struggled for supremacy until late in the
  14th century, when one of his descendants, Timur
  Lang, incorporated what is today Afghanistan into
  his own vast Asian empire. Babur, a descendant of
  Timur and the founder of Moghul Empire at the
  beginning of the 16th century, made Kabul the
  capital. To the West, the territory fell into the
  hands of local warriors.

58
Genghis Khan
59
Lead into Modern Times

• Afghanistan was divided in many parts in the
  16th, 17th and early 18th century. North were the
  Uzbeks, west was Safavid's rule and east was the
  Mughal's and local Pashtun rule. In 1709, the
  Pashtuns (Afghans) decided to rise against the
  Persian Safavids. The Persians were defeated very
  badly and the Afghans held Iran from 1719-1729.
  Nadir Shah of Persia pushed back the Afghans. In
  1738, Nadir Shah conquered Kandahar, in the same
  year he occupied Ghazni, Kabul and Lahore. After
  his death in 1747, the Durrani Pashtuns became
  the principal Afghan rulers.

60
Nadir Shah
61
The British Experience

• Collision between the expanding British and
  Russian Empires significantly influenced
  Afghanistan during the 19th century in what was
  termed "The Great Game."
• British concern over Russian advances in Central
  Asia culminated in two Anglo-Afghan wars.
• "The Siege of Herat" 1837-1842, had the Persians
  trying to retake Afghanistan from the British.
  The siege resulted in the destruction of a
  British army, thus prompting the Great Empire to
  withdraw in disgrace. To this day, the battle for
  Herat is remembered as an example of the ferocity
  of Afghan resistance to foreign rule.

62
The British Withdraw
63
Independence

• Afghanistan remained neutral during World War I,
  despite German encouragement of anti-British
  feelings and Afghan rebellion along the borders
  of British India. The Afghan king's policy of
  neutrality was not universally popular within the
  country, however.
• In 1919, the Kings son and successor was
  assassinated, possibly by family members opposed
  to British influence. His third son only regained
  control of Afghanistan's foreign policy after
  launching the Third Anglo-Afghan War with an
  attack on India.
• During the ensuing conflict, the war-weary
  British forever relinquished their control over
  Afghan foreign affairs, signing the Treaty of
  Rawalpini in August 1919. In commemoration of
  this event, Afghans celebrate August 19th as
  their Independence Day.

64
Civil War and a Short Line of Kings

• Following a ten year civil war for control of the
  new state, Afghanistan entered into a period of
  relative stability and prosperity under the
  reigns of Nadir Shah and Zahir Shah (1929-1973).
• Zahir Shah (pictured right) became the youngest,
  longest-serving and last king of Afghanistan.
• You will remember these kings were mentioned in
  your novel...

65
Upheaval Amid the Cold War

• Amid charges of corruption against the royal
  family and poor economic conditions created by
  severe drought (1971-72), former Prime Minister
  Mohammad Daoud Khan seized power in a military
  coup on July 17, 1973.
• Zahir Shah fled the country, eventually finding
  refuge in Italy.
• Daoud abolished the monarchy, and declared
  Afghanistan a republic with himself as its first
  President and Prime Minister. His attempts to
  carry out badly needed economic and social
  reforms met with little success, and the new
  constitution promulgated in February 1977 failed
  to quell chronic political instability.

66
Upheaval Amid the Cold War 2

• Disillusionment set in. On April 27, 1978, the
  communist PDPA (Peoples Democratic Party of
  Afghanistan) initiated a bloody coup, which
  resulted in the overthrow and murder of Daoud and
  most of his family.
• Nur Muhammad Taraki, Secretary General of the
  PDPA, became President of the Revolutionary
  Council and Prime Minister of the newly
  established Democratic Republic of Afghanistan -
  strongly supported by the USSR.

67
Backview of Afghan Parliament
68
The PDPA Agenda

• The PDPA, as a Communist Party, implemented a
  socialist agenda which included decrees
  abolishing usury, banning forced marriages, state
  recognition of womens rights to vote, replacing
  religious and traditional laws with secular and
  Marxist ones, banning tribal courts, and land
  reform. Men were obliged to cut their beards,
  women couldn't wear a burqa, and mosque visiting
  was forbidden.
• The PDPA invited the Soviet Union to assist in
  modernizing its economy. The USSR sent
  contractors to build roads, hospitals, schools
  and mine for water wells. They also trained and
  equipped the Afghan army.

69
The Russians Roll In

• These reforms and the PDPA's monopoly on power
  were met with a huge backlash, partly led by
  members of the traditional establishment. Many
  groups were formed in an attempt to reverse the
  dependence on the Soviet Union, some resorting to
  violent means and sabotage of the country's
  industry and infrastructure. The government
  responded with a heavy handed military
  intervention and arrested, exiled and executed
  many mujahideen holy muslim warriors".
• In 1979, the Afghan army was overwhelmed with the
  number of incidents, and the Soviet Union sent
  troops to crush the uprising. On December 25,
  1979 the Soviet army entered Kabul, and installed
  a pro-Moscow government.

70
The Russians are in the House!
71
Resistance / Bad Tidings

• For over nine years the Soviet Army conducted
  military operations against the Afghan mujahideen
  rebels. The American CIA, Pakistan, and Saudi
  Arabia assisted in the financing of the
  resistance because of their anti-communist
  stance, and, in the case of Saudi Arabia, because
  of their Islamist inclinations.
• Their efforts were eventually successful, and in
  February 1989, after ten bloody years the Soviet
  Union reluctantly withdrew its troops. The
  mujahideen had become a force to be reckoned
  with.

72
Public Enemy 1

• Among the foreign participants in the war against
  the Soviet Union was Osama bin Laden, whose
  organization trained mujahideen, and provided
  some arms and funds to fight the Soviets. Bin
  Laden, although only playing a limited part in
  this conflict, broke away with some of his more
  militant members to form Al-Qaeda (1988). His
  dream was to expand the anti-Soviet resistance
  effort into a worldwide Islamic fundamentalist
  movement.

73
The Taliban

• When the victorious mujahideen entered Kabul to
  assume control over the city and the central
  government, fighting soon began between the
  various militias, which had coexisted only
  uneasily during the Soviet occupation. With the
  demise of their common enemy, the militias'
  ethnic, clan, religious, and personality
  differences surfaced, and a second civil war
  ensued.
• In reaction to the anarchy and warlordism
  prevalent in the country, and the lack of Pashtun
  representation in the Kabul government, the
  Taliban, a movement of religious scholars and
  former mujahideen, emerged from the southern
  province of Kandahar. The Taliban took control of
  approximately 95 of the country by the end of
  2000, limiting the opposition mostly to a small
  corner in the northeast.

74
Sept. 11th, 2001

• The Taliban were ardent supporters of Bin Ladens
  Al-Qaeda network. They provided barracks and
  protection for his training camps. We all know
  where that lead

75
Invasion Again

• In response to the September 11, 2001 attacks,
  the United States and its allies (including
  Canada) launched an invasion of Afghanistan to
  oust the Taliban government.
• Sponsored by the UN, Afghan factions met in Bonn,
  Germany and chose a 30 member interim authority
  led by Hamid Karzai, a Pashtun from Kandahar.
  After governing for 6 months, former King Zahir
  Shah returned to convene a Loya Jirga (council
  meeting), which elected Karzai as president and
  gave him authority to govern for two more years.
  On October 9, 2004, Karzai was elected as
  president of Afghanistan in the country's first
  ever presidential election.

76
Another Chapter Underway

• Tension is again running high in his country with
  a resurrgence of the Taliban underway- Hamid
  Karzai is in a very difficult position
  poltically. Will he last?
• For our part, Canadian Troops increasingly
  encounter resistance in the South. Are we engaged
  in a war without end? The debate rages

77
Canadian Soldiers in Afghanistan
78
When you think of modern Afghanistan, know this

• 30 years of continuous war has totally crippled
  the economy. In many parts of the country, one
  must try to survive day-by-day by scrounging
  enough food to eat.
• An average person faces a high chance of becoming
  blind or crippled simply because of the lack of
  fresh fruit and vegetables (malnutrition).
• Most people do not have the facilities to receive
  an education, nor do they have the facilities to
  receive medical treatment. Still, hundreds of
  thousands of people are maimed or disabled
  because of war and land mines. Illiteracy rates
  stand at 50.  
• Today, the average life-expectancy for males is
  40 years. For females, it is 43 years.

79
End
80
Works Cited

• http//www.afghanistans.com/
• http//bobbybran.blogs.com/photos
• http//en.wikipedia.org
• http//iran.iwarp.com
• www.pm.gc.ca

81
Persian Literature

• ENG 4U The Kite Runner

82
Literacy

• According to UNESCO, the total literacy rate in
  Afghanistan in 2000 was 36.3 percent.
• The rate is 51 percent for males, and only 20.8
  percent for females (because previous Taliban
  laws prevented the education of women).
• However, Persian poetry has played a significant
  role in Afghan culture since pre-Islamic times.

83
Pre-Islamic Period

• Persian literature dates as far back as 650 BCE,
  but most Zoroastrian writings were destroyed
  during the Islamic conquest of Iran
• Due to anti-Persian policies, Arabic became the
  primary language, but literature written in other
  languages by those of Persian descent is still
  considered to be Persian.

84
The Medieval Era

• Persian was revived during the Middle Ages, due
  in large part to Persian poet Ferdowsi, who wrote
  the Shahnama in 1000 AD.
• You should recall that a copy of this book was
  given to Amir as a birthday present from Ali in
  The Kite Runner.

85
The Middle Ages, contd.

• Poetry became an extremely important form in
  Persian literature, and could even be found in
  scientific or metaphysical texts.
• This was linked to a tradition of court (royal)
  patronage and panegyrics (public speeches of
  praise), which led to the emergence of epic
  poetry, the greatest of which can be found in the
  Shanama (or Shahnameh).

86
The Shahnama
87
The Shahnama

• In addition to reviving the Persian language,
  this text is considered to be a literary
  masterpiece that reflects Iranian history,
  cultural values, ancient religions, and
  nationalism.
• Although the focus is on Iran, it is important to
  all Persian peoples, including those of
  Afghanistan.

88
The Shahnama

• Known as The Epic of Kings, the poem itself
  contains 62 stories and 990 chapters, consisting
  of 60,000 couplets, and is based on an earlier
  prose work by the same author.
• In general, the book recounts the history of
  Iran, though not necessarily in precise
  chronological order. Ferdowsis poetic style
  prevents the story from becoming a dry historial
  account.
• The characters (heroes, villains, and shahs) come
  and go, but the image of Greater Iran remains
  throughout.

89
The Shahnama

• The tragic story of Rostam and Sohrab can be
  found in the section devoted to the heroic age
  (which comprises about two thirds of the text).
• It has been turned into a famous opera and, more
  recently, an elaborate puppet opera.
• It is also the subject of a poem by English
  writer Matthew Arnold.

90
The Shahnama

• Ferdowsi did not expect his reader to pass over
  historical events indifferently, but asked
  him/her to think carefully, to see the grounds
  for the rise and fall of individuals and nations
  and to learn from the past in order to improve
  the present, and to better shape the future.
• Ferdowsi stresses his belief that since the world
  is transient, and since everyone is merely a
  passerby, one is wise to avoid cruelty, lying,
  avarice, and other traditional evils instead one
  should strive for justice, honor, truth, order,
  and other traditional virtues.

91
The Middle Ages, contd.

• In the thirteenth century, lyric (i.e. emotional)
  poetry became popular, particularly mystical and
  Sufi poetry.
• Much of this poetry was actually directed at
  young men pages, slaves, and soldiers.

• Some leaders in this genre were Rumi, Sadi, and
  Hafez.

92
The Middle Ages, contd.

• A memorable prose epic from this era is One
  Thousand and One Nights, which includes the
  stories of Aladdin, Ali Baba and the Forty
  Thieves, and Sinbad the Sailor.
• One important poetic form to emerge from this era
  was the ghazal (pronounced guzzle).

93
The Ghazal

• Originating in the 10th century, and still
  important in Persian literature today, this type
  of poem involves a very strict structure, and
  traditionally deals with the subject of love.
• The term refers to the form of the poem, and can
  thus be composed in any language.
• It has evolved into a popular song form in India
  and Pakistan.

94
The Ghazal

• Popular themes include
• Illicit unattainable love
• Sufism ("a science whose objective is the
  reparation of the heart and turning it away from
  all else but God).
• Eventually, this form found its way into English
  poetry, and the worlds first anthology of
  English-language ghazals was published in 1996.

95
The Ghazal

• The form consists of a short lyric composed in a
  single metre with a single rhyme throughout.
• Often the poets pen name is incorporated into
  the last line in a creative way, in a tradition
  known as Maqta.

96
The 19th Century

• A great change occurred when Prime Minister Amir
  Kabir expressed his concern that traditional
  poetic forms were detrimental to the progress
  and modernization of Iranian society.
• This led to a wave of comparative literature and
  literary criticism, adapted from Western culture.

97
The 20th Century

• After returning to Afghanistan from exile in
  Turkey, Mahmud Tarzi began to publish a bi-weekly
  newpaper, which became an important part of the
  Afghan modernist movement.
• He was also the first to introduce the novel in
  Afghanistan, and translated many English novels.

98
The 20th Century, contd.

• In the 1930s, the Herat Literary Circle and the
  Kabul Literary Circle published magazines
  dedicated to culture and Persian literature.
• Despite strong traditional influences, new styles
  did manage to evolve, and in 1962 a book of
  modern poetry was published in Kabul.
• Many emerging Afghanistani writers (such as Asef
  Soltanzadeh, Reza Ebrahimi, Ameneh Mohammadi, and
  Abbas Jafari) grew up in Iran and were under the
  influence of Iranian writers, which was evident
  in most of their work.

99
The 20th Century, contd.

• Persian short stories have undergone an evolution
  from the formative period (with a focus on
  modernism), through a period of growth and
  development (with a focus on political and
  psychological issues), to a period of diversity
  (which involves a great deal of experimentation
  and change).

100
The 20th Century, contd.

• After years of classical tradition, Nima Yushij
  introduced new forms of modern Persian poetry
  that involved much more freedom of structure and
  a focus on human and social existence.
• This led to a movement of Sepid poetry, which
  is a type of free verse.

101
Contemporary Literature

• Although Iranian literature has enjoyed more
  prominence worldwide, Afghanistani writers are
  beginning to emerge.
• The Kite Runner was the first novel to be written
  in English by an Afghan(-American) writer.
• Private poetry competitions events, known as
  mushaera are still held, even among ordinary
  people (i.e. not just published writers).

102
Resources

• http//encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569370/Afgh
  anistan.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AfghanistanCulture
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_literature