The Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi
"Big Head" Fariburz and Kay Khusrau 1494
Shah-Nama
Firdausi and Western Literature
Firdausi (c.930-1020)
Folios from the Great Mongul Shah
Indian & Islamic Minatures
The Shahnama Project
The Shahnama of Firdausi
During the late 10th century, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni comissioned the poet Abu 'l Kasim (c. 941 - 1020), psuedononomously known as Firdausi, to complete a history of Iran from the creation to the time of the Arab conquest. After about 35 years of work, the result was the Shahnama, or Book of Kings. The poem, consisting of 60,000 rhymed couplets, has two parts to it. The first part, the mythological part, deals with the legendary Persian kings and heroes (Rustam, Kai Khusrau). The second, part, from the death of Rustam onwards, gives (highly romanticized) accounts of historical figures such as Darius and Alexander the Great.
