A Literary Comparison of the Manshur Letters in Tārikh-e Beyhaqi and al-Tawassol elā al-tarassol

Letters serve as an important means of communication and message transmission, particularly within governmental institutions, where specific principles must be observed. The Divān-e Resālat was an important and extensive organization within the monarchy system, where official state letters were composed in both prose and poetry. The number, significance, and diversity of letters are also worthy of reflection from a literary perspective. Referred to by various names such as molattafa, methāl, manshur, roqʿa, goshādnāma, peymānnāma, fathnāma, shekastnāma, and others, these letters contain important information and can serve as a valuable source for understanding the worldview and extent of power held by rulers during their reign. This article aims to examine and compare the manshur letters in Tārikh-e Beyhaqi and al-Tawassol elā al-tarassol from a literary perspective, using a library based descriptive analytical method. The manshur letters in Tārikh-e Beyhaqī, as narrated by Abu’l-Fazl Beyhaqi, are characterized by their brevity. Beyhaqi himself provides a general overview of these letters without delving extensively into their literary aspects. Only a few references to literary devices such as rhyme, metonymy, and repetition are made in his overview. The content of these letters primarily served political purposes, reflecting the rulers’ perspectives in delegating the responsibility of governing and controlling subordinate regions to individuals. On the other hand, the manshur letters of al-Tawassol elā al-tarassol, authored by  Bahā al-Din Baghdādi, exhibit greater length and employ a wider range of literary techniques. Baghdādi skillfully incorporates literary devices such as allusion, simile, metaphor, metonymy, rhyme, pun, and oxymoron in the composition of these letters. While Tārikh-e Beyhaqi holds significance due to its chronological precedence and its deployment by Baghdādi, the manshur letters included in al-Tawassol elā al-tarassol are lengthier and offer more detailed accounts, owing to the educational purpose of the book.