The Relationship between Iranian Ancient Wisdom and the Morality of Fairness

Iranian ancient wisdom ( Hikmat) literature , mostly appearing in Avesta and some of Andarz-namehs, represents a Weltanschaung which encourages righteousness and goodness in thought, speech and conduct and also depicts the world as a battlefield between good and evil. This world-view fosters those who try to improve their own conditions as well as the one of the world by following the morality of jawanmardi (Fairness)/Pahlavani (chivarly). The present article tries to clarify the antiquity and influence of this world-view and its relationship with the chivalrous morality(ayeen jawanmardi) through historical and literary evidence before and after Islam.