For several reasons no other persons ought to be more in need of a knowledge of history than rulers:
Firstly: Because the affairs of the whole world depend on their option and consideration, as well as the good and evil acts committed; the former of which it is their duty to encourage, and the latter to prevent. Therefore it is incumbent upon them to be acquainted with political events, stratagems of war, and the counsels of wise men, all of which matters may be learnt from history.
Secondly: Because when they study this science with attention, and gain a knowledge of the revenues and current affairs of ancient kings and governors, they strive to act justly, to govern their subjects mildly, and to do everything conducive to the permanency of their kingdom; they abstain from everything that might entail misery, trouble, or bring on a diminution of their power. When monarchs become impressed with the happy consequences of magnanimity, as portrayed in the characters of some former sovereigns, and contemplate the effects, intense pleasure takes hold of their minds, and they become desirous of surpassing the good reputations of their predecessors.
Thirdly: As Governors and Amirs are constantly absorbed in the political affairs of their governments, and their mental faculties are wearied by being always thus employed, they are greatly refreshed and cheered up by listening to historical narratives, because there is no science more apt to exhilarate the mind than history. The objections of ignorant persons—that the majority of chronicles are mere fictions and fables of the ancients, commingling truth with falsehood and right with wrong, to discern the one from the other being difficult, and that, therefore, it is useless to study them—are obviated by considering that the Emâms of former, and the great men of latter, times have based this science on righteousness, and it is impossible that the most virtuous persons, and the greatest U’lamâ, should have taken fiction and untruthfulness for their motto, and should have been engaged in palming them off as truth; therefore everything handed down to posterity by them is free from defects and imperfections. If, on the other hand, liars, and inventors of stories, obeying the impulses of their wicked propensities, impute blamable acts to the great men of antiquity, and consign their insinuations to writing, their productions are by learned critics soon branded with the stigma of infamy and exposed to the scorn of the world. Nevertheless, supposing some chronicles to be fictitious (which Allah forbid), they may be perused to some advantage; such, for instance, as the ‘Stories of Kalila and Dimna,’ with other fictions, not one of which is founded on reality, but which may be read with very great advantage and profit: Allah, however, is most wise!