FIRDOWSI: NATIONAL CHARACTER IN PERSIAN LITERATURE

It is compulsory for every citizen to look after their national identity and to raise it up. Nationalism spirit will bring up confidence and national union in dealing with any foreign threats. Literature-sourced nationalism has become an important role in its exertion. It can be found in the most phenomenal literature in Persian, named Shah Nameh, written by Firdowsi that has made the people and the language of Persian risen out of “intellectual silence” during Arab conquest. In approximately three centuries, Persian territory was under Arab authority, though, Persian language has remained exist when other language in conquered territories were totally influenced by Arabic. In writings, some writers would always minimize the use of Arabic as a means of giving pressures on Arabic expanding influence in the region at that time.