The Epic of Kings (Dodo Press)

Hakim Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi Tusi, more commonly transliterated as Ferdowsi, (935-1020) was a highly revered Persian poet. He was the author of the Shahnameh (The Epic of Kings), the national epic of the Persian-speaking world as well as the entire Iranian realm. He started his composition of the Shahnameh (The Epic of Kings) in 977 A. D. After 30 years of hard work, he finished the book and went to present it to Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. The latter showed lack of interest in Ferdowsi and his lifework. Ferdowsi returned to his hometown heartbroken and enraged. He died in poverty, embittered by royal neglect, though fully confident of his work's ultimate success and fame. He has a unique place in Persian history because of the strides he made in reviving and regenerating the Persian language and cultural traditions. His works are cited as a crucial component in the persistence of the Persian language, as those works allowed much of the tongue to remain codified and intact. Many modern Iranians see him as the father of the modern Persian language.