The Shahnama of Firdausi: Volume VII

Arthur George Warner, Edmond Warner

• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9781136396809
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Ethnic Studies
• Index: Social Sciences

First Published in 2000. This is Volume X of thirteen the Oriental series looking at Persia. The Sháhnáma of Firdausi Vol VII, includes the Sasanian Dynasty, Bhram Gur, Yazdagird, Hurmuz, Piruz, Balash, Kubad son of Piruz, Nushirwan, the story of Buzurjmihr, of Mahbud, and the introduction of the game of chess into Iran.

XXXV
BAHRÁM GÚR
HE EEIGNED SIXTY-THEEE YEARS

ARGUMENT

Bahráin’s accession and inaugural measures. His adventures, amorous and otherwise, among his subjects. His relations with foreign potentates. His instructions to his officials, and remission of taxation. His introduction of the Gipsies into Írán, and his death.

NOTE

Bahráin Gúr (Varahran V., A.D. 420–438) is said by Tabarí and Mas’údí to have been twenty years old at the time of his accession.¹ According to Tabarí he reigned either eighteen or twenty-three years.² Mas’údí says the latter.³ On the other hand Mír Khánd, who tells us that he followed the most generally received account, perhaps Firdausí’s own, states that Bahrám reigned sixty-three years.⁴ No doubt popular tradition lovingly prolonged to the utmost the reign of this Sháh who, like James V. of Scotland, was a “ King of the Commons.” The poet was at no loss for material in this part of his work, and the reign is the most diverting in the Sháhnáma. Its interest with regard to the question of the provenance of the Arabian Nights has been noted already.⁵ As is to be expected in the circumstances the subject-matter is largely legendary, though some authentic features have been preserved, and there can be little doubt but that Bahrám’s own character as depicted by Firdausí is in the main historically correct. He fulfilled the promises made by him when a candidate for the throne, but gave himself up largely to pleasure, though this does not seem to have impaired his activities at critical moments. He appears, too, to have been fortunate in his administrators. His chief minister, Mihr Narsí, who is not to be confounded with Narsí, the Sháh’s brother, and three of his sons were at the head of affairs. One was the principal, or nearly so, of the official hierarchy, another was chief superintendent of the taxes, and the third was commander-in-chief.¹ Mihr Narsí and his father Buráza are stated to have held office under Yazdagird, Bah rám’s father, and the former was reappointed chief minister when Yazdagird, Bahrám’s son, came to the throne.² He was himself a prince and an Arsacid, so it would seem that the supplanted family had regained a great position for itself under the new dispensation, and that the state of things fully justified the pronouncement put by later legend into the mouth of Kaid.³ Bahrám Gúr began his reign with a persecution of the Christians, which led to war with the Eastern Roman Empire. There is a slight allusion to such a war in the poem,⁴ but the chief incident recorded to have taken place is a pacific one.⁵

§ § 1 and 2. Bahrám devotes the first days of his reign to carrying out his promises of reform made before his accession,⁶ and to the relief of taxation.

§ § 3–16. We have here a series of popular legends of Bahrám’s adventures when going about unrecognised among various classes of his subjects.⁷ The story of the miser occurs twice.⁸

§ § 19–22. We have here the story of Bahrám’s most famous exploit, which is historical, though as much cannot be said of the various details with which popular appreciation has embellished it. Historically, the foes over whom Bahrám won his great triumph were the Haitálians, or White Huns.⁹ This is clear on Firdausí’s own showing when he comes to the reign of Pírúz.¹⁰ Later on again, in the reign of Núshírwán, ample distinction is made between the subjects of the Khán of Chín and the Haitálians.¹¹ In substituting the former for the latter on this occasion Firdausí errs in good company. Tabarí, Mas’údí, and Mír Khánd all name the Turks as the enemy,¹² and since they did not come upon the scene for another century and more,¹³ we learn approximately the earliest date at which the story of Bahrám’s exploit could have been edited in its existing form. According to the Persian Tabarí¹ —the version adapted from the original Arabic by Bal’amí, the minister of the Sámánid prince Mansúr, son of Núh (A.D. 961–976), about A.D. 963—the Khán was put to flight, according to the Arabic ² slain in the battle by Bahrám’s own hand. Both agree that the Khátún, or wife of the Khán, was taken prisoner and sent to serve in the famous Fire-temple at Shíz, whither Bahrám had gone to pray for success in his expedition.³ According to the Arabic Tabarí, Bahrám, as an act of thanksgiving for his victory, relieved his subjects of taxation for three years.⁴ This probably is the popular version of the fact that great reforms in that connexion were effected during his reign, but they could not have been justified, one would think, to the extent stated by the amount of plunder taken from the Haitálians, and still less to the extent described in the Sháhnáma, which affirms that he almost reformed taxation away altogether. It may be added that the various accounts of Bahrám’s expedition against the Haitálians are in substantial accord though they differ in detail, e.g. as to how far the enemy had advanced at the time of the battle, the route that Bahrám followed in his march, and the number of troops that he took with him.

§ 24. Bahrám’s war with the Eastern Roman Empire, in which he was not very successful, came to an end in A.D. 422, but Firdausí (§ 19) makes it synchronise with that against the ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Prefatory Note
• Contents
• Abbreviations
• Note Onpronunciation
• The Sasánian Dynasty
• Bahrám gúr—
• Yazdagird, Son of Bahrám Gúr—
• Hurmuz—
• Pírúz—
• Balásh—
• Kubad, Son of Pírúz—
• Núshírwán—
• Part II. The Story of Búzurjmihr And of the Seven Feasts of núshírwán
• Part III. The Story of Mahbúd and Other Matters
• Part IV. The Introduction of the Game of Chess Into írán. The Legend of the Invention op the Game. The Discovery op the Book of kalíla and Dimna
• Index