Selected History of Beyhaqi

The book “Tarikh-i Bayhaqi” or “Tarikh-i Mas’udi” is written by Abolfazl Mohammad ibn Hossein Bayhaqi, and its main subject is the history of Mas’ud Ghaznavi’s reign and the Ghaznavid dynasty. In addition to the history of the Ghaznavids, this book contains sections about the Saffarids, Samanids, and the period before the rise and reign of Mahmud of Ghazni. The original version of the book was about 30 volumes, but today only a small portion (about five volumes) remains. The oldest book that mentioned “Tarikh-i Bayhaqi” is “Tarikh-i Bayhaq” by Abolhasan Bayhaqi, who mentioned Bayhaqi’s work after his biography. The subject of “Tarikh-i Bayhaqi” is history, but not the type of history that was usually written up to that time or even afterward in Iran and other parts of the world. Critical analyses and the root causes of historical events are among the key aspects Bayhaqi paid great attention to. Moreover, nearly everyone who reads this book praises the beauty and appeal of its prose and becomes enamored with it. Many believe that despite being a history book, it is categorized in literature because its outstanding feature is its novel-like quality, which is why the audience encounters an engaging and captivating work. The book “Selections from Tarikh-i Bayhaqi,” compiled by Narges Ravanpour, as its title suggests, presents selected portions from “Tarikh-i Bayhaqi.” Ravanpour has made an effort in this book to curate selections that are even more appealing to the audience.