Review of the role and influence of Hamdollah Mostowfi in preserving and deepening Iranian culture and identity

The rule of the Mongols and Ilkhans in the seventh and eighth centuries AH were able to form a vast state by relying on the power of the sword, and the Iranian identity was endangered by their invasion. The efforts of the elites, the Iranian courtiers to restore this national identity were immortalized in the history of this land. The role of Hamdollah Mostowfi in preserving and spreading Iranian culture and identity during the turbulent period of the seventh and eighth centuries AH is very important. The difference between Mostowfi's work and other elites of his time is the use of the art and language of poetry. He has tried to make connections with the historical and mythical past of Iran by using cultural and political symbols such as the Shahnameh, Book of Kings. This study seeks to answer the main question: What was the role of Hamdollah Mostowfi's in preserving and expanding Iranian culture and identity in this turbulent period? Considering the research in the life and valuable works of Hamdollah Mostowfi as one of the historical and civilizational manifestations of Iranian society, it can be concluded that generally Iranian historians, writers and personalities throughout history and Hamdollah Mostowfi especially in the Ilkhanate era were very effective in preservation and revival of Iranian culture and identity. It also shows that the concept of Iran and Iranian identity is not a new subject and can be found in historical and ancient texts, especially in the works of Hamdollah Mostowfi per se. The research method is analytical and descriptive using library resources. Based on the results of this research, it can be said that during the ups and downs of Iran's history, political borders were repeatedly invaded by the enemies. But it was the elites and writers who were able to defeat the stubborn enemy on the cultural front and impose Iranian culture and civilization on them. After a while, the invaders became attracted to Iranian culture. The national identity of the Iranians was repeatedly threatened by the invaders and they were able to cross the barrier of soldiers and military officers, but were preserved and guarded by soldiers and cultural officers. What has been said in the previous articles is not a modern Iranian name and identity. Rather, it is related to the depth of the history of this land and can be seen in the study of the works of writers and historians of ancient history up to the Islamic period. Hamdollah Mostowfi is one of these cultural officers of Iran who in the difficult political, cultural and social conditions of the Ilkhanate era was able to preserve and revive the name of Iran, the land of Iran and the national identity of Iranians in his works that has been unique since Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. In his three valuable works, "Zafarnameh"; "Selected history" and "Nuzhat al-Gholoub", he tries to revive the Iranian identity. Mostowfi has time and again in his works cited Iran, land of Iran and Iran-shahr. Mostowfi tries to repair and revive this deprivation and silence of the sources in a completely intelligent way, so that it became a suitable model for historians and writers after him. Keywords: Hamdollah Mostowfi, Iran, Identity, Culture, Ilkhans