TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE vii
PART I
AN OUTLINE OF PERSIAN HISTORY DURING THE LAST FOUR CENTURIES
CHAPTER
I. SOME GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE ṢAFAWÍ DYNASTY 3
II. THE CREATION OF THE ṢAFAWÍ POWER TO 930/1524. SHÁH ISMA'ÍL AND HIS ANCESTORS 32
III. CULMINATION AND DECLINE OF THE ṢAFAWÍ POWER, FROM SHÁH ṬAHMÁSP (A.D. 1524-1576) TO SHÁH ḤUSAYN (A.D. 1694-1722) 84
IV. AN OUTLINE OF THE HISTORY OF PERSIA DURING THE LAST TWO CENTURIES (A.D. 1722-1922) 121
PART II
PERSIAN VERSE DURING THE LAST FOUR CENTURIES
V. SOME GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS ON THE LATER AND ESPECIALLY THE RELIGIOUS POETRY OF THE PERSIANS 161
VI. POETS OF THE CLASSICAL TRADITION. PRE-QÁJÁR PERIOD (A.D. 1500-1800) 224
VII. POETS OF THE QÁJÁR PERIOD 298
PART III
PERSIAN PROSE DURING THE LAST FOUR CENTURIES
VIII.  THE ORTHODOX SHÍ'A FAITH AND ITS EXPONENTS, THE MUJTA­HIDS AND MULLÁS 353
IX. PROSE WRITERS UNTIL A.D. 1850 412
X. THE MOST MODERN DEVELOPMENTS (A.D. 1850 ONWARDS) 458
INDEX 491