The Shah Namah: The Epic of Kings (Forgotten Books)

Book Description: "Shahname, or Shahnama "The Book of Kings", is an enormous poetic opus written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around 1000 [AD] and is the national epic of the Persian speaking world. The Shahnameh tells the mythical and historical past of Iran from the creation of the world up until the Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century.Aside from its literary importance the Shahnameh, written in almost pure Persian, has been pivotal for reviving the Persian language subsequent to the influence of Arabic. This voluminous work, regarded by Persian speakers as a literary masterpiece, also reflects Iran's history, its cultural values, its ancient religions (Zoroastrianism), and its profound sense of nationhood. Ferdowsi completed the Shahnameh at the point in time when national independence had been compromised. While there are memorable heroes and heroines of the classical type in this work, the real, ongoing hero is Iran itself. It's thus an important book for all Persian speakers of the Iranian world, including Afghanistan and Tajikistan, to other Persian speakers of Central Asia, Pakistan, India and as far as China,as well as the many Iranians living abroad all around the world since the Revolution of 1979.This book is also important to the remaining 200,000 Zoroastrians in the world, because the Shahnameh traces before the beginning of Zoroastrianism (Mithraism age) to the defeat of the last Zoroastrian king by Arab invaders.Illustrated copies of the work are among the most sumptuous examples of Persian miniature painting. Several copies remain intact, although two of the most famous, the Houghton Shahnameh and the Great Mongol Shahnameh, were broken up for sheets to be sold separately in the 20th century. A single sheet from the former (now Aga Khan Museum) was sold for Euros 904,000 in 2006. The Bayasanghori Shahnameh, an illuminated manuscript copy of the work (Golestan Palace, Iran), is included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register of cultural heritage items." (Quote from wikipedia.org)Table of Contents: Publisher's Preface; The Shahs Of Old; Feridoun; Zal; Zal And Rudabeh; Rustem; The March Into Mazinderan; Kai Kaous Committeth More Follies; Rustem And Sohrab; Saiawush; The Return Of Kai Khosrau; Firoud; The Vengeance Of Kai Khosrau; Byzun And Manijeh; The Defeat Of Afrasiyab; The Passing Of Kai Khosrau; Isfendiyar; Rustem And Isfendiyar; The Death Of RustemAbout the Publisher: Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, Esoteric and Mythology. www.forgottenbooks.orgForgotten Books is about sharing information, not about making money. All books are priced at wholesale prices. We are also the only publisher we know of to print in large sans-serif font, which is proven to make the text easier to read and put less strain on your eyes. Read more