Marzban-nama

The Marzbān-nāma is an early 13th-century Persian prose work. It consists of "various didactic stories and fables used as illustrations of morality and right conduct", and belongs to the "mirror for princes" literary genre. It was written in 1210–1225 by Sa'ad al-Din Varavini, under the patronage of Abu'l-Qasem Harun, the vizier of the Eldiguzid ruler Muzaffar al-Din Uzbek.
The Marzbān-nāma was translated fully or as an abridgement into Turkish, Arabic, French and English. K. Crewe Williams notes that the Marzbān-nāma is said to have been based upon a non-extant precursor, which was written in the vernacular of Tabaristan around the 10th century, by the Bavandid ruler Al-Marzuban.
As opposed to normal practise, the three illustrations found at the beginning of the earliest extant manuscript were drawn before the text was written. The illustrations depict the Islamic prophet Muhammad, the author of the work and the patron.

Manuscripts

Older extant manuscripts of the Marzbān-nāma include :

Ms. 216, the only known manuscript with illustrations, dated 698/1299. It is the earliest known extant copy.
OR 6476, dated 8th/14th century, displays evidence of more than one copier.
Ancien Fonds Persan 384, dated 9th/15th century.