Review and Analysis of the Western Orientalists about the National Iranian Epic

Within Iranian literary works, The Shahnameh, the eternal epic written by the sage Abolqasem Ferdowsi, has an important and unique place in the recognition of the ethnic identity and the reflection of the Iranian people's view of the world. The importance of The Shahnameh from the abovementioned perspectives, evoked the curiosity and contemplation of many Western and Eastern researches and caused some critical analysis in a way that The Shahnameh can be viewed as a highway for intellectual challenges of Orientalists confronting Eastern culture and was always an exposé for them of both justice or injustice, for support or for rejection. Although the Orientalist's efforts to know more about Iran and Iranians, has evoked their attention towards this grand work, and their valuable researches have granted benefits for Iranians, by paying attention to their opinions, some realities about their hidden or obvious intentions, which were mostly unnoticed.Undoubtedly persistence to find suitable reply for questions like: "Are the offered views and findings in the Orientalist's researches real reflection of Iran and its national epic or a confusing and biased image?"; "Which aspect of The Shahnameh, are western researches following to prove or suggest, knowledge or identity?"; “Which perspective of The Shahnameh are the Western scholars trying to proof or suggest – knowledge or identity? Or none of the above?"; “Have the researches of the Orientalists been coordinated with western politicians, or in some cases conducted to proove their political tendencies, or for mere love of gaining knowledge and bringing about science for the sake of science? Or a combination of the two?" As well as other such issues have persuaded the writers to criticise and analyse the ideas and works of Western European Orientalists on Ferdowsi and his Shahnameh through a descriptive-analytic approach, based on their works and declarations. Considering the essential differences in the approach of the Russian and former Soviet researchers of The Shahnameh and fear of over expanding the research and amount of the essay, the writers decided not to mention these researchers ' attitudes within this research.