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Qabus-nama is a Persian literary and ethical magnum opus written in the 11th century by the ruler of the Ziyarid dynasty of Tabaristan, 'Keikavus ibn Iskandar'. It provides insight into mediaeval Persia's cultural, social, and political environment. It was an era marked by the dominance of Persian learning, arts, and literature; hence, the Ziyarid court became one of the centres of literary playgrounds, which included texts on more Islamic and Persian ethics and values. Keikavus's primary purpose in writing Qabus-nama was to give valuable advice to Gilan Shah, the son of Keikavus. He intended to teach the morrow of reward and punishment. It encompasses 44 chapters that outline princely education, manners, and conduct. The text's multidimensional nature allows for rich analysis across different perspectives. The work is also described as a 'mirror for princes'. It advises on the principles of command and the manner of one's behaviour but at the same time persuades moderation and a way of life characterised by kindness. 

The Qabus-nama contains wise sayings and teachings that pertain to a country's politics and an individual's self-management in terms of education and morality. Keikavus, through his Qabus-nama, compiled the code of behaviours as well as the wisest principles of his time, concentrating on the advice given to rulers and on what is expected of them, their families, and their subjects. Works like Nizam al-Mulk's Siyasat-nama and al-Ghazali's Nasihat al-Muluk embody the fundamental concepts outlined in the Qabus-nama, so perpetuating its legacy by incorporating its essential ethical and political doctrines into the wider Islamic and Persian intellectual traditions. In the book, one can see the presence of Persian-Islamic civilisation that is aware of the expectations of leaders and partnerships in society, making the Qabus-nama a classical work of Persian literature and a historical artefact that is critical in exploring the ethics of leadership in the mediaeval Islamic period. 

The period that followed the demise of the Abbasid Caliphate gave birth to various regional powers such as the Buwayhid, Samanids, and Ziyarids, all of which claimed independence while still being puppet states of the Baghdad caliphate. The Ziyarid Dynasty that ruled in the Caspian and eastern Persian territories was essential in developing a culture anchored in both Persian and Islam, rekindling interest in the past before Islam, notably Iranian ethics and ideals.

The Qabus-nama was written during that time when the Ziyarid court also felt the need to assert its authority and cultural relevancy by recognising the literary and moral values of the Persians, and in which the Ziyarid court so deeply aspired to project its image as a bastion of Ziyarid legitimacy and supremacy. Keikavus ibn Iskandar, a ruler with on-the-ground expertise in leading a state and an interest in comparable themes of statecraft, composed the Qabus-nama. The work not only acts as a manual but also presents an overview of the moral and political ideals that need to be preached to people holding executive positions in the leadership of a highly stratified Persianate society. The Qabus-nama gives the ethical orientation of focusing on propriety, justice, modesty, and caution; it can be expressed that the issues it addresses developed in the context of their time, which revealed a great deal of emphasis upon the need to possess and maintain moral conduct to ensure the stability within the political system and assure loyalty from the subjects. Moreover, Keikavus talks in support of the personal growth of the individual and the acquisition of knowledge by him, which relates to the notion of a 'philosopher king' that has been strongly impacted by Sassanian, Islamic, and Aristotelian traditions that have existed in that region.

The Qabus-nama belongs to the genre of "mirrors for princes," literary works that offered ethical and political guidance during mediaeval times. This book is composed in prose, employing auditory and visual elements to provide clarity and guidance. The composition is noteworthy as it predominantly features poetry intended to elucidate key ethical or philosophical concepts within the Persian Islamic framework. The Qabus-nama comprises 44 chapters, each concentrating on a specific aspect of governance and personal discipline. This work can be viewed as both a comprehensive dissertation on the principles of good governance and a manual for particular situations. The chapters address a variety of topics, including the administration of justice, warfare, health, friendship, and management, reflecting the essence of advisory literature. The Qabus-nama imparts teachings on citizenship and leadership, indicating a goal to cultivate both virtuous rulers and responsible citizens by legitimising Persianate kingship and aligning it with the genre of advisory literature. The themes and contents of Qabus-nama have a wide range of meanings. 

In the introduction of the book, the author declares his aims and highlights the noblesse oblige due to the scion of a line of famous forebears. The preface is finished with a list of the forty-four chapters. 

The first two chapters deal, in line with Islamic norms, with the uniqueness (tawḥid) of God, the creation of the world, and the prophethood as a divine institution sustaining a hierarchical social and political order in the world. Chapters 3 and 4 talk about the foundations of religion, especially prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage, and their importance for life in this world as well as for the next. A few chapters follow about general moral principles such as the respect due to one's parents (chapter. 5); the acquisition of merits and skills, which is an obligation even to someone of noble birth (chap. 6); and a discussion of the necessity to acquire verbal skills, followed by a series of maxims said to have been written in Pahlavi on the walls of the tomb of the Sasanian king Kosrow I Anosirvan, the most famous ancestor of the Ziarid house (chap. 7-8). 

Then various aspects of personal life are reviewed, including the advantages of being young and the increasing disabilities of old age; the etiquette of social behaviour (table manners and how to limit the consequences of indulging in the sin of drinking wine); taking part in entertainments by playing chess and backgammon, gambling and making jokes; having a hot bath, sleeping, and taking one's rest (chaps. 9–17); the participation in sports, the chase, and the game of polo (chaps. 8–19). After a chapter on the battle (chap. 20), the focus is devoted to financial life, particularly the amassing of money, the running of a household, and the procurement of slaves and horses (chaps. 21–25). This personal advice is finished with comments about marriage and the raising of children (chap. 26-27); how to establish friends and how to cope with foes (chaps. 28-29); and the dispensation of pardon and punishment (chap. 30). Then the most important walks of life are reviewed: religious offices, commerce, the practice of medicine, astrology, and mathematics, the crafts of the court poet and the minstrel-musician (chaps. 31–36), the service of kings, the qualities of a courtier, a secretary, a minister, a military commander, and finally the ruler himself (chaps. 37–42). The review is ended, first, by a chapter on farming and artisanship (chap. 43) and then by an explication of the fundamental values of chivalry and the attitude of the ascetic beggar (darviš), revealing Kaykāvus' sympathy with Sufi beliefs prominent in his period (chap. 44).

Most chapters involve reminiscences in which Greek philosophers, Persian kings, Caliphs, and other individuals from Islamic history, such as the Buwayhid vazir Saheb Ismail bin Abbad, appear, although there are also anonymous tales about common people. Of specific significance are the stories that deal with the Ghaznavid and Shaddadid rulers with whom Keikavus had been in direct contact. The poetical inserts are, in most cases, quatrains created by the author, which reflect relatively mediocre poetical talents. One of these quatrains is in the Tabari dialect, followed by a rendering into Dari Persian. Among the few other poets named are Abu'l-Sakur of Baulk, the composer of the didactical mathnawi Afarin-nama, and Keikavus contemporary Asjadi, but of the major poets of the early 11th century only Farroki Sistani is present with no more than one half-verse. No Arabic poetry is mentioned, but Keikavus exhibits a strong affection for proverbs, both Arabic and Persian.

It presents a complete illustration of the social hierarchies in mediaeval Persian society, with a precise distinction of the tasks and obligations of the various strata. The qualities that the rulers, who are characterised as the ideal rulers who ironically speak of the social order and embodiment of rectitude, appear to value most are justice, wisdom, and humility. The ministers are characterised as individuals who are loyal, smart, and administratively effective because they are the connection between law enforcement and society in ensuring the fulfilment of justice and other governmental tasks. They further underline the significance of their distinction that the society does not merely parallel its regimes but rather layers them in the form of internal hierarchies needed to keep order in the society. Scholars are regarded highly, for they play a key role in society, carrying both intelligence and morals, as competent rulers cannot govern without seeking their opinion owing to their involvement in the administration of the law. The Qabus-nama also urges ordinary residents to practice virtues such as honesty, hard work, and obedience, which are responsible for peace and order in the nation and production. By illustrating what qualities and responsibilities fit each class, as the Qabus-nama does, it serves an instructional purpose concerning ethics and politics and also portrays the hierarchical and moral order of that time, which upholds all the principles of governance and social order in a Persianate society. In a social order, its legacy is unstoppable and influences all realms. 

This was one of the principal and most comprehensive "advice literature" of all time. It formed a model from which other works would sooner or later borrow. Importantly, later authors were highly drawn to its impact on ethics, heroes, and the conceptions of power. Texts such as Nizam al-Mulk's Siyasat-nama and al-Ghazali's Nasihat al-Muluk depend on the essential concepts of the Qabus-nama, which aims to deepen its ideas by presenting them in Islamic and Persian settings. The Siyasat-nama, for example, is comparable to the Qabus-nama when it comes to delivering practical instruction to any monarch, notably about the rule of law and the use of administrative discretion. The Nasihat al-Muluk also deals with kingship, focusing on the degree of morality and science a monarch should advocate, reflecting Keikavus's idea of a king as a ruler of morals and ethics. To add more, the blend of prose and poetry in the Qabus-nama to strengthen the exposition of intellectual and moral themes impacted the subsequent didactic Persian literature. By creating a structure that interlaced practical advice with an ethical doxology, the Qabus-nama also set the tone for later works of this nature and is, for this reason, regarded as one of the main texts in the Persian instructional literature, ensuring its age-long ethical and intellectual sustenance in the Persian literary context.

The Qabus-nama has encountered a vast cultural survey brimming with translation throughout the years; it has effectively surpassed the bounds of the Persian language region. The earliest known efforts of translating the work into Turkish may be traced to the second half of the 14th century, while an updated edition of the book was released internationally in the year 1981 by Eleazar Birnbaum. Sultan Murad II of the Ottoman Empire ordered the most significant translation in 1431, which was executed by Merjemek b. Aḥmad b. Elyas and pitched as a performance in detail in 1880-81. Then in 1705, another translation was created in Ottoman Turkish by Nazmizada Musthafa. In 1882, Abd al-Qayyum bin Abd-al-Naser adapted the Qabus-nama into Tatar Turkish, while Muhammad Rizo Ogahi finished the Uzbek Turkish translation in 1994. The earliest European translation was into German and created by Heinrich Friedrich von Diez in 1811. In 1886, A. Querry released a French translation that not only presented the text in French but also incorporated the Persian language and so broadened the scope of the work in Europe. Apart from these, the translations by P. B. Vachha, 1916, and Reuben Levy, 1951, must be recognised for the work's translation in English. 

Furthermore, Qabus-nama was translated into Arabic by Amin Abu'l-Majid Badawi in 1958. The many cultural settings within the Qabus-nama have also pointed to the fact that this work is universally acceptable and adaptable to varied moral, pedagogic, and literary practices. Hence, every translated version has served its purpose of inculcating values across peoples, civilisations, and cultures to enable the Qabus-nama to share its teachings on the art of ruling, principles of morality, and conduct of individuals, thus establishing itself as a cornerstone masterpiece in any literary works across the world. The pedagogical ideas in Qabus-nama emphasise purposeful teaching, systematic instruction, and the integration of theory and practice.

The Qabus-nama presents a diverse array of pedagogical practices that are timeless and applicable in modern educational settings. A fundamental component of its educational framework is intentional instruction, wherein each lesson is designed with a distinct objective. Keikavus underscores the significance of this principle by asserting that every educational process must include explicit objectives, and participants must comprehend the rationale behind each step undertaken. 

This aligns with contemporary educational paradigms that promote efforts towards goal achievement in the learning process to enhance student motivation and performance. Moreover, the Qabus-nama advocates for educators to employ visualisation techniques via narrating, imparting morals, and providing instances to elucidate abstract concepts more effectively. This approach improves comprehension and appreciation of the information, as it pertains directly to actual scenarios rather than abstract notions. Keikavus integrates over fifty instances and several narratives into his texts to convey certain lessons, illustrating the significance of mythology and experiential learning in education. This resembles contemporary educational methods that use case studies, images, audio materials, and narrative techniques to improve understanding.

Conscious teaching is a vital educational idea that enhances self-awareness and critical thinking in students. Keikavus fosters the thinking of his learners on their knowledge and experiences so that a profound understanding of the subject may be formed. Critical thinking also indicates a reflection within the self that can be cultivated inside a student to aid problem-solving and informed decision-making in modern educational contexts. Moreover, the Qabus-nama argues for linking theory and practice and hypotheses that theory and its application in practical situations increase learning. Keikavus believes that information, as gained, should not only be used but also effectively implemented in actual life beyond classrooms. 

The approach is backed by methods of experiential learning that expose students to direct hands-on experience with genuine problems from their classroom lectures to appropriately prepare them for situations beyond the classroom. Another trait that the Qabus-nama mentions in teaching is steadiness—that is, consistency or constant endeavour in instruction. Keikavus promotes endurance and ongoing learning, making it obvious that consistent efforts in teaching will help achieve long-term educational objectives. This approach is very much in agreement with today's conceptions about lifelong learning and the role that resilience plays in educational pursuit.

To conclude, the Qabus-nama is a revered literary work from Persia that encapsulates the historical, social, and intellectual life of the region in the 11th century. The historical and literary backdrop of the work illustrates the Ziyarid Dynasty's role in the development of Persianate ethics and governance, while the content delineates the required conduct for both princes and society as a whole. The Qabusnama, in both form and substance, was innovative in the genre of advisory literature and inspired subsequent works such as the Siyasatnama and Nasihat al-Muluk. The pedagogical ideas, encompassing goal-oriented education, experiential learning, critical analysis, and the practical application of instruction, remain compelling. This bestows the book the distinction of being both a literary and pedagogical cornerstone that transcends temporal and cultural boundaries.

About the author:

Muhammed Nihal K is Degree second-year student of the Department of Civilizational Studies at Sabeelul Hidaya Islamic College, Parappur, Kerala, India. He is from Karippur, Malappuram.

References

• Keikavus ibn Iskandar. Qabus-nama: A Mirror for Princes. Translated by Reuben Levy. London: Cresset Press, 1951. 
• Birnbaum, Eleazar, ed. Qabus-nama: A Facsimile of the Oldest Known Manuscript. Duxbury, MA: Eleazar Birnbaum, 1981.
• Shafique, Muhammad. Persian Literary and Ethical Tradition: The Qabus-Nama in Context. Tehran: Institute for the Studies in Islamic Culture, 2008.
• "Persian Mirrors for Princes: Genre and Politics." In On the Wonders of Land and Sea: Persianate Travel Writing, edited by Roberta Micallef, 45–68. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2010.
• Gelişli, Yücel, and Lazura Kazykhankyzy. "Investigation of Qabusnama in Terms of Words of Advice Related to Child’s Education." bilig, no. 97 (2021): 177-200.
• Shauyenova, M., Aitpaeva, A., Abilbakiyeva, G., and Saudabayeva, G. "Analysis of Keykavus' Qabus-Name' from a Pedagogical Perspective." Bulletin of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University. Series of Pedagogical Sciences 2, no. 82 (2024): 72-77.
• Shauenova, Meruyert, Aksaule Mankesh, Arman Shaukhanov, Ulbosyn Kyakbayeva, and Kalzhan Kongyratbay. "Pedagogical Ideas of 'Qabus Nama' Written by Keykavus." European Online Journal of Natural and Social Sciences 6, no. 4 (2017): 674–685.
• https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/kaykavus-onsor-maali