A Deluge of Tears The Conflux of Persian Shiʿi Literature, Ritual, and Identity in Martyrdom Narratives

This dissertation presents the first English in-depth study of one of the most important

maqtals (martyrdom narratives) ever written in Persian, the Rowz̤at ol-Shohadā’ (Meadow of the

Martyrs) by Ḥoseyn b. ʿAlī Beyhaqī Kāshefī (d. 910 A.H./1504 C.E.). Through the broader lens

of the literary apotheosis of a historical figure, Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī (d. 61 A.H./680 C.E.) into an epic

hero, I argue three points. Firstly, that Kāshefī’s text largely changed the landscape of Iranian

Twelver Shiʿism by recasting Ḥusayn’s story, resulting in the rise of Persian martyrdom

literature. Secondly, that Kāshefī’s decision to compose the book in Persian, rather than Arabic

like most previous maqtals, as well as his incorporation of references from Iranian legend,