Contents

Acknowledgments

Notes on Transliteration

List of Figures

Abbreviations

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Historical Context

1.1 The Scythio-Parthian Kingdom of Sistan

1.2 The Ruling Family in Sistan in Ancient Times

1.3 The Family of Suren, the Family of Rostam

1.4 The Other Parthian Family

1.5 Reflections of Parthian History in the SCE

Chapter 2 The Appropriation of an Avestan Hero and the Birth of the House of Rostam

2.1 Garshāsp’s Genealogy

2.2 Garshāsp and the Founding of Sistan

2.3 The Repertoire of Heroic Motifs

2.4 Another Version of the Story/History

2.5 Footprints of a Religious Conflict

Chapter 3 The Zenith of Suren Power

3.1 Rostam’s Early Heroic Career

3.1.1 Babr-e Bayān

3.1.2 Kok-e Kuhzād

3.1.3 The Haft-Khān

3.2 Historical Reflections

3.2.1 A Time of Alliance

3.2.2 The Special Status of the House of Rostam

3.2.3 The Beginning of the End: The Advent of Lohrāsp

Chapter 4 The Downtrodden Sistani Heroes

4.1 Borzu

4.2 Jahāngir

4.3 Shahriyār

Chapter 5 The Polemics of Making Heroes and Anti-Heroes

5.1 Farāmarz in Qannuj

5.2 Transformation of Heroic Imagery

5.3 Farāmarz and Bahman: The Final Showdown

5.4 Bahman the Anti-Hero Par Excellence

Epilogue

Appendix A The Sistani Cycle of Epics: Stories and Their Manuscripts

Rostam Stories not Included in the Shāhnāmeh

Garshāspnāmeh

Bahmannāmeh

Farāmarznāmeh

Bānu-Goshaspnāmeh

Borzunāmeh

Shahriyārnāmeh

Jahāngirnāmeh

Appendix B Narrations of Bahman’s Reign

1 Ḥamza al-Iṣfahāni

2 Al-Thaʿālibi

3 Al-Ṭabari

4 Al-Dinawari

5 Gardizi

6 Balʿami

7 Ibn Balkhi

8 Masʿudi

9 Mujmal al-Tawārikh wa’l Qiṣṣaṣ

Figures

Bibliography

Index