Reflection of the socio-cultural situation of the Saljuq period in Nāsir Khusrau's Divan

Literary sources are one of the valuable sources that reflect the social, political and cultural citations of the poet's lifetime. Nasir Khusrau, as dissenter elite contrary to assenter elite of Saljuq reign, has a critical view on the socio-cultural situation of this period. Many historians of the Saljuq period, owing to the status quo, have mostly panegyrized the monarch and have not paid much attention to the social-cultural challenges and deficiencies of this period. However, on account his strong leaning towards Ismaili sect and accordingly having been antagonistic toward Saljuqs monarchy, he has related many of the incidents and problems that have been connived by historians. Although his disapproving statement and critical view cannot be verify quit, but such a viewpoint, collectively the panegyrist of the Saljuqs, can help to familiarize witch this period. He criticizes the rulers, judicial powers, and government officials of the saljuq monarchy and attentively considered issues including the anti-elite, brain drain, intellectuals misconducting, anti-philosophy, and sectarian violence. Analyzing and adapting these two disparate views and identifying the social-cultural challenges of this period based on Divan of Nāsir Khusrau is the problem of the research. Results show that Nasir Khusrau conception of socio-cultural situations of saljuq period emerges from his critical and antagonistic look towards saljuq monarchy which discloses lots of facts and realities facing his community that have been less paid in historical sources. In this article, an attempt has been made to answer this question by referring to sources and using a descriptive-analytical method, what was the socio-cultural situation of the Saljuk period based on Divan of Nāsir Khusrau?