Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Mohammad Khoddami ¹
• Majid Rashidipour ²

¹ Phd Student of Persian Language and Literature of Shiraz university. Shiraz. Iran

² MA in Persian Language and Literature of Shiraz University. Shiraz. Iran

Abstract

Introduction
The chronogram remains a relatively understudied genre in Persian literary history. It refers to the transformation of numbers—particularly dates—into letters, words, or phrases based on the “abjad system”, and vice versa. This practice reflects a distinctive intersection of literary creativity and numerical symbolism, historically used to record notable events such as births, deaths, coronations, or the construction of monuments.While Kasa’i Marvazi is credited with the earliest numeric chronogram, Masod Sa’d Salman is generally regarded as the first to systematically develop the genre. Chronogram writing began to appear intermittently in the sixth century AH, solidified its position by the eighth century, and reached its peak during the Safavid period. However, it saw a decline in use following the Constitutional Revolution.Islamic views on death and the sanctity of burial spaces contributed to the emergence of poetic gravestone inscriptions that blend spirituality with literary artistry. The historical cemetery of Dār al-Salām in Shiraz houses a large collection of such inscriptions. The high concentration of chronograms by celebrated poets from the Fars region underscores the literary significance of this form and calls for a dedicated scholarly exploration.
 

Keywords

• ‎Chronogram
• Abjad letters
• Gravestone inscription
• Dār al-Salām Cemetery‏ ‏of Shiraz.‎

Main Subjects

• ادبیات قدیم