1
Hasan Shahryari PhD in Persian Language and Literature (Epic Orientation) from Qom University and Secretary of the Iranology Department of the SAMT Organization, Tehran, Iran.
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Foreign Languages, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
10.22034/heroic.2026.3.5.06
Abstract
In the tradition of Iranian thought, peace is a concept beyond the absence of war and is related to justice, rationality and social cohesion. Ferdowsi's Shahnameh is not only a narrator of battles, but also an arena for recognizing the soft mechanisms of power and actions affecting the reconciliation and establishment of social order. In the meantime, women in Ferdowsi's narratives appear not as passive personalities, but as wise and influential agents in sensitive situations and have a distinct role in the process of peace and the reduction of conflicts. This research with a descriptive-analytical approach and through the content analysis of the index samples of Shahnameh stories, analyzes the presence and role of women in peace processes. The main focus is on identifying the patterns of behavior and mechanisms that are reflected in their interactions with power and decision-making, and shows how soft tools can open different paths to conflict management in the heart of an epic text. Findings show that the role of women in the Shahnameh can be traced to various levels of peace - from micro to macro areas - some of which find ritual and structural aspects. Findings show that women in Shahnameh, in addition to protecting family and ethnic values, have an effective role in establishing "positive peace" with their wisdom and prudence. Sindakht mediated between Iran and Kabul, Katayoun, through political ties with Goshtasp, Homay and Borandokht in organizing the country after the riots, as well as the women of Horom in accepting reconciliation, each gave a face of women's peaceful activism. They open. Such an attitude transcends the audience's view of war narratives and invites them to understand the more hidden layers of the concept of peace in the Shahnameh.
Shahryari,H. and Soleimani,A. (2026). The role of women in promoting peace in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. (e735321). Journal of Heroic Literature, 3(5), e735321 doi: 10.22034/heroic.2026.3.5.06
MLA
Shahryari,H. , and Soleimani,A. . "The role of women in promoting peace in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh" .e735321 , Journal of Heroic Literature, 3, 5, 2026, e735321. doi: 10.22034/heroic.2026.3.5.06
HARVARD
Shahryari H., Soleimani A. (2026). 'The role of women in promoting peace in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh', Journal of Heroic Literature, 3(5), e735321. doi: 10.22034/heroic.2026.3.5.06
CHICAGO
H. Shahryari and A. Soleimani, "The role of women in promoting peace in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh," Journal of Heroic Literature, 3 5 (2026): e735321, doi: 10.22034/heroic.2026.3.5.06
VANCOUVER
Shahryari H., Soleimani A. The role of women in promoting peace in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Journal of Heroic Literature, 2026; 3(5): e735321. doi: 10.22034/heroic.2026.3.5.06