ABSTRACT
I use the above quote to open this chapter because it sums up the experience of Susm as a quest within the self, but the quote is also reective of the overall journey of this book and its aim to excavate the Iranian religious consciousness. In many ways, this book has been about an exploration of Persianate identity, which covers themes from the wider spectrum of events that have unfolded throughout the history of greater Iran, and which are brought together in the amalgamation of what appears to constitute a typical Persian identity. e extent of the inuence of Persian culture upon those nations under the sway of this once mighty empire is plain and obvious. And it is the extent of the cultural products of Persian elements like language, literature and art that presents itself in even the most basic study of Middle Eastern traditions. Weaved within this grand project of writing a macrohistory of Iran is found the distinct brand of Susm, commonly referred to as “Persian Susm”. “Persian Susm” is not only a predominant brand of Susm, one which is localized within Iran, but is one whose cultural products have far-reaching eects on other Su cultures throughout the East and North Africa, and even other
places. Still, Susm, as already mentioned, does not originate in Iran; it is not Persian. Rather, Susm, which is an Islamic phenomenon, is distinctly permeated by dominant Persianate themes and cultural products, such as its poetry and music and language, for instance, that give the unmistakable impression of it being Persian. It is with this understanding that I refer to “Persian Susm” in this chapter.
