The second volume in this series presents the reader with an extensive study of some major genres of Persian poetry from the first centuries after the rise of Islam to the end of the Timurid era and the inauguration of Safavid rule in the beginning of the sixteenth century. The authors explore the development of poetic genres, from the panegyric (qaside), to short lyrical poems (ghazal), and the quatrains (roba'i), tracing the stylistic evolution of Persian poetry up to 1500 and examine the vital role of these poetic forms within the rich landscape of Persian literature.

Contributors Foreword Chapter 1: The Panegyrical Qaside-A Brief Historical Preview (J. T. P. de Bruijn) Chapter 2: The Panegyric Qaside In The Eastern Iranian World: Court Poetry In The Samanid And Ghaznavid Periods (Julie Scott Meisami) Chapter 3: The Qaside After The Fall Of The Ghaznavids 1100-1500 Ce (J. T. P. De Bruijn)Chapter 4: Qasides Of The Khwârazmshâhid Court: Vatvât And Adib Sâber (Alireza Korangy) Chapter 5: The Qaside In Western Persia-Persian Poetry Goes West (J. T. P. De Bruijn)Chapter 6: The Qaside In The Mongol And Timurid Periods (M. Keyvani) Chapter 7: Stanzaic Poems (G. Van Den Berg) Chapter 8: The Ghazal In Medieval Persian Poetry (J. T. P. De Bruijn) Chapter 9: The Flourishing Of Persian Quatrains (A. A. Seyed-Gohrab) Chapter 10: Shahrâshub (Sunil Sharma) Chapter 11: Hajv And Profane Persian (Paul Sprachman) Abbreviations Of Books And Journals Frequently Cited BibliographyIndex