Three Schoolfellows

Lore & Background

Hasan was later accused of plotting to replace Nizam al-Mulk as vizier, and Nizam al-Mulk plotted against him in response, forcing Hasan to flee to Rayy and then to Ismaili Egypt. Hasan returned secretly to Persia as a learned Ismaili missionary and leader of the radical Nizari Ismaili movement. He led a revolt that founded a decentralized state of scattered fortresses across the Seljuk empire. Nizam al-Mulk, planning campaigns against Nizari strongholds, became the victim of a famous assassination by Hasan's followers, later known as the 'Assassins.'

Reader's Guide

The tale of the Three Schoolfellows holds significance as a narrative that ties together three major figures of medieval Persian history: a powerful vizier, a revolutionary leader, and a renowned poet-mathematician. It illustrates themes of ambition, betrayal, and the pursuit of power versus knowledge. Although most modern scholars dismiss the story as folklore due to age discrepancies and differing places of residence among the protagonists, it has persisted in Persian literature and was introduced to the West by Edward FitzGerald in his translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The tale's endurance reflects its cultural resonance, even as historians debate its historicity. Some scholars, like Ali Mohammad Rajput, argue for its truth based on multiple independent accounts, while others, like Jawad al-Muscati, see it as a fabrication by Hasan's enemies. Harold Bowen suggests it may originate from actual relationships between Nizam al-Mulk and two contemporaries: the poet Sayf al-Din Bakharzi and the bureaucrat Abu Nasr Kunduri. The story remains a compelling, if disputed, part of Persian historical lore.

Did You Know?

• The tale was first attested in earlier sources like Ibn al-Athir or Juwayni, not the 14th-century Jami' al-tawarikh.
• It was brought to Western literature by Edward FitzGerald's introduction to his English translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.
• Most modern scholars consider the story folklore due to age discrepancies and different places of residence during the protagonists' youth.
• Harold Bowen suggests the story may originate from the actual relationship between Nizam al-Mulk and two contemporaries: Sayf al-Din Bakharzi and Abu Nasr Kunduri.