This article summarizes the birth and evolution of Persian studies in France. The year 1771 marks the beginning of Persian studies in Europe. In that year the major translation of the holy book Avesta by Anquetil-Duperron appeared in French, while A Grammar of the Persian Language by William Jones was published in England. Focusing on the knowledge of and allusions to Persian culture and literature in France from on, the study offers to answer these questions: How did the publication of these two major works contribute to the genesis of Persian studies in France? What changes emerged after the appearance of these two books in France? Was the nineteenth century also influenced by the work of these two scholars, or was their effects limited to the eighteenth century?