The Iran Society, founded in 1935
Dr Ridgeon, cheap of Glasgow University, pills will be talking about the idea of javanmardi, capsule which is loosely translated as chivalry, a concept that has permeated Iranian culture for centuries. This presentation will focus on how javanmardi has been understood by a range of thinkers, both medieval and modern. This will be carried out by looking at Sufi texts, the genre known as Mirrors for Princes, among others. In addition, the presentation will focus on the modern zurkhaneh (a gymnasium often regarded as the repository of javanmardi). Javanmardi is as fundamental a notion in Iran as the idea of fair play is in England and needs to be understood by outsiders.
Dr Ridgeon is the author of a number of books on Sufism and is a very engaging lecturer.