68 A FOUNDATION FOR HISTORYmodel of regional histories. In addition to accounts of rulers, governors,
and events, it includes theories of governance as well as moral and eth-
ical advice for the political ruler. I highlight a sermon Beyhaqi that he
reproduces in his discussion of the year 421 AH (ro30 CE). This pas-
sage contains a philosophy of history that illuminates the work of
Chachnama as well:
My aim [in writing history] is not to explain to the people of this
present time the exploits of Sultan Mas'ud, may God illuminate his
proof, because the people have themselves seen him and are well
aware of his greatness, his courage, and his uniqueness in all matters
of government and leadership. Rather, my aim is that I should write
a foundation (paya) for history.^43With this sense of a futurity, Beyhaqi explains that his text is
written to "monarchs and to others so that each class of persons may
derive profit from it according to the amount of their knowledge."^44
That is, this is an ethical and moral lesson for his audience. Beyhaqi
opens with praise for the great kings of the past-the Greek Alexander
and Persian Ardashir-and instruction on what one could learn from
them. He criticizes Alexander for his lust for conquest: "But what is
the point of wandering around the world? A monarch must keep a tight
rein, for by seizing some realm and region but failing to maintain his
grip, and then impetuously moving on to invade yet.another land, and
i"epeating the same process and abandoning it, he would have given full
scope for all and sundry to call him weak and impotent."^45 Beyhaqi fol-
lows this admonition to govern rather than conquer with a long ex-
cursus on the role of prophets and kings as leaders and guides to the
people. He does this by glossing verses from the Qur'an and incorpo-
rating examples from the past. Finally, he concludes by writing another
section "describing the qualities of the wise and just man which en-
title him to be called meritorious, and what the defects of the tyran-
nical person are, such that he may inevitably be called ignorant and
uncouth, and it will become apparent that, whoever is stronger in
wisdom will attract more praise, and .whoever has a smaller intellect
will be held in less esteem."^46 This is then both a philosophy of his-
tory and a political theory for the elite. Chachnama is a project in Bey-