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This dissertation seeks to demonstrate that Jam i's Salaman va Absal, an allegorical Persian romance dismissed by modern scholarship as a bizarre tale about an incestuous relationship between a youth and his wet-nurse, is actually a sophisticated book of advice for a medieval Islamic ruler. The work, which was dedicated to Ya`q ub Beg, leader of the Turkmen Aq Qoy unlu empire in western Iran in the ninth/fifteenth century, contains at least three interrelated levels of meaning. First, Salaman va Abs al functions as a book of advice on kingship. In order to substantiate this claim, the dissertation highlights key portions of Salaman va Absal that echo the political advice contained in such classic Perso-Islamic mirrors for princes as Qabus-n ama, Siyar al-muluk, Nasih[dotbelow]at al muluk, Akhlaq-i Na s[dotbelow]iri, and Akhl aq-i Jalali. Second, Salaman va Abs al serves as a manual for adepts of Sufi mysticism. According to the symbolism of the tale, the main figure, Salam an, represents the rational soul, and his beloved wet-nurse, Abs al, stands for carnal pleasure. The tale thus describes how an aspirant repents ( tauba ) from his sins and annihilates his ego-self (nafs ). Given that the Aq Qoy unlu ruler Ya`qub had an abiding interest in Sufi mysticism, which is reflected in the fact that his letters to Jumi allude to Naqshband i spiritual techniques, he would have recognized the mystical significance of Salaman va Abs al. Moreover, as this study argues, he was a disciple of Jami, who functioned as his spiritual master. Finally, Salaman va Absal may be interpreted in its historical context. For the first time in modern scholarship, this dissertation demonstrates that the work conveys details about the Aq Qoyu nlu court and its ruler, Ya`qub, arguing that the figure of Salaman symbolizes Ya`qub and that the tale about Sal aman's renunciation of Absal alludes to the renunciation of worldly pleasures, alcohol in particular, by Ya`qub. The commonly held view that Jam i presented Salaman va Absal as a coronation gift to Ya`q ub in 885/1480 is rejected in favor of a later date of composition of ca. 893/1488 when it was dedicated to the Aq Qoy unlu ruler in commemoration of his public repentance from alcohol.
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