Frag Rattmann, Rattmann hat ...

We learn from the Arab geographers of the ninth and tenth centuries, Istakhri and Ibn Haukal, of the existence of fire-temples and strong castles in the province of Fars, and the large number of Fire-worshippers there during their time.  Istakhri states that in the castle of Shiz, in the district of Arrajan, in the province of Fars, were preserved at the time he wrote, manuscripts written in Pahlavi, containing history of the Iranians from earliest times, an illustrated with portraits after the style of the Sassanian bas-reliefs on rocks near Shapur.  Amongst these books was one named Khudai Nameh or ‘Book of Kings’, containing history of ancient kings of Iran from the time of Gayomard down to the reign of Nosherwan.It was complied by a learned Zoroastrian nobleman of the name Daneshwar Dehkan.  Firdousi, in his immortal epic, often refers to this ‘Dehkan’.  

Along with this Khudai Nameh were preserved in Pahlavi, books like the Exploits of Zarir, the brother of king Gushtasp; Karnameh of Ardashir Babegan, the founder of the Sassanian dynasty; the Andraz or Pand literature, treating of the admonitions and sayings and speeches of the Iranian Kings to their sons and people; Madigan Chatrang, dealing with the explanations of the games of chess and draughts; Zarthosht Nameh, treating of the life and work of the holy Prophet Zarathushtra, etc.

It was from such Pahlavi works that translations into Arabic were made.  These translators were either Persians themselves still clung to their ancient Faith, or convert outwardly professing Islam, but at heart devoted to Zoroastrianism.    

The Fihrist of An Nadhim is the chief source to us of the history of the entire Arabic literature.  It gives the names of some of the chief translators from Pahlavi into Arabic.  The foremost of these translators was Ibn ul Muquaffa, of whom the Fihrist speaks at length.  He translated Khudai Nameh into Arabic.  The Pahlavi Ain Nameh containing the customs, manners, laws of the ancient Persians was also rendered in Arabic by Muquaffa.  He also translated Taj Nameh, and Book of Kalileh and Damneh, into Arabic.

It was the basis of Ibnul Muquaffa’s Arabic renderings of Khudai Nameh etc. that enabled later Arabic writers to compile history of ancient Persians.  Jahiz often cites the Khudai Nameh, Tabari, in writing his book on the History of Iran, had such sources available to him as the Khudai Nameh, Karnameh etc., in their original or their Arabic versions.  The great Masudi, whose writings have always been quoted by Arabic and Persian writers as reliable and trustworthy, had access to such ancient records.  Miskawaihi, who lived a thousand years ago, wrote Adab ul Fars val Arab on the basis of the Pahlavi Javidan Khirad, which according to Jahiz, was translated into Arabic by Hassn ibn Sahal.  Arabic historians like Ai-Balkhi and Hamza Isphani often consulted Zoroastrians priests or Mobeds and Iranian records.  Thalibi versified the prose version of the Khudai Nameh.  Unfortunately the original Pahlavi book, as also Muquaffa’s translation of it are irretrievably lost to us.  Of course, abstracts and fragments are contained in some Arabic historical works and also in anthologies like Uyunul Akhbar of Ibn Qutaiba.  Hamza Isphani states that Mobed Behram had to use more than twenty copies of Pahlavi Khodai Nameh in order to establish the correct chronology.  

The prose preface to Firdousi’s Shahnameh states that in 958 A.D., four Zoroastrians were entrusted with the work of compiling a prose Shahnameh from the original Pahlavi sources like Khudai Nameh, at the order of Abu Mansur bin Abdurrazak, governor of Tus.  Albiruni testifies in his Athar ul Baquiyeh to such a compilation.  Firdausi himself, in the Introductory portion of his Shahnameh, states of a book written since olden times --gahe bastan including historical narratives; folios of which were lying scattered with Mobeds ---paragandeh dar daste har Mubadi.  A great lord ---pahlawan descended from the Dehkans, that is of ancient nobility, ordered to bring from everywhere old Mobeds and to compile a book out of the information etc., they were able to supply.  This book later became the basis of Firdausi’s poem.  This prose version written in Persian, by the four learned, wise and pious Zoroastrian priests (Mobeds), and compiled by them from original Pahalavi materials as well as their Arabic renderings, was first noticed by a Zoroatrian poet, named Dakiki.  He intended to versify the book in Persian ---banazmaram in nameh ra guft man.

He versified into one thousand couplets the history of the religious war between Gushtasp, the king of Iran, and Arjasp, the Turanian king.  But the young poet met an untimely death.

Thus the original, root source of Firdousi’s Shahnameh was the Pahlavi Khudai Nameh.  Firdousi may have utilized it along with other works noted above; or he might have had access to Muquaffa’s version.  He might have used later Arabic writers who quoted from Muquaffa.  But he certainly took full advantage of the Persian prose work compiled by the four Zoroastrians.

Firdousi himself has emphasized that his work was no fiction.  He says, “Whatever I say has been already narrated ---Sakhun harche guyam hameh gufteh-and”.  “Do not consider this as falsehood or fiction ---To in ra darugho fasaneh madan”.  Truly, has the poet made Iran living ---ajam zendeh kardam badin Parsi

Not only written records but, oral traditions as remembered by Mobeds were searched for by Firdaousi in the compilation of the various Dastans. He says, “Magar kaz pedar yad darad pesar, beguyad tura yak ba yak az pedar.”

In commencing the narrative of Kayumars, Firdousi thus refers to the old Zoroastrian historian:

Sukhungue dehkan che guyad nukhost   

And for the narrative of Zal, the father of Rustom, he again consults the ancient history –bastan book, that is the Khudai Nameh, and he says: “Kunun bar shegefti yaki dastan.  Bepaivandam az gofta-e bastan.”

Whilst finishing the narrative of King Kaus, the poet thus says: “Dar in dastan goftam an kam shunud”

In narrating the dastan of Sohrab and Rustom, the poet at the commencement cites again the Dehkan of the Bastan Nameh, and he says: “Ze goftare dehkan yaki dastan-Bepayvandam as gofta-e Bastan.

In old Mss. of Shahnameh, the age of the Kianian king Gushtasp in whose reign holy prophet Zarathushtra flourished is thus given: “Guzashteh bar an saleyan shish hazar.”

Firdousi states that he incorporated one thousand couplets composed by Dakiki in his Shahname, as per the wish intimated by the deceased to the poet in a dream.  Dakiki must surely have used the Pahalvi Yadgare Zariran for his narrative of the battle with Arjasp.  Firdousi says: “Dakiki rasanid inja sakhun. Yaki Nameh didam pur az dastan sukhunhae an pur manesh rastan.”

The poet states that one Azadsarv of Merv, well versed in ancient history of Iran, had with him a book containing history of ancient kings.  From him the poet got his narrative of the death of Rustom.

The sources for the narrative of Alexander could have been the Khudai Nameh or other Pahlavi writings, which unanimously call him by the epithet gazaste i.e. ‘accursed’, since he destroyed Iran and its literature.  The source may be some Arabic versions from Greek or Syriac writings.

The history of Ardesher Babegan is met with in the Pahlavi Karnameh of which we know, that a larger Karnameh once existed.  Of the narrative of Haftavad and the Worm, we find description in Karnamneh too.  There we have Haftan bukht instead of Haftavad , which seems a corrupt transcription of original.  Firdousi states at the beginning of the narrative: “Bebin in shegefti ke Dehkan che guft badangeh ke bokshad raz az nehuft”

Firdousi states, he narrated the story of the game of chess on the authority of old records, like Pahlavi Madigani Chatrang: “Sar amad kunun bar man in dastan ke beshnidam az goftae bastan”

The poet states that the narrative of Burze, the physician, was written on the authority of Shadan Burzin, who was one of the four translators of the prose Shahnameh.  This narrative is based on the Pahlavi Kalileh and Damneh.  The history of Nosherwan’s invasion of Rum is also based on Namae Bastan-ze goftare an daneshe rastan.  The story of Khusru and Shirin is based on a Kuhan Dastan š

[Source: “Iranian and Oriental Papers” by the author: Jamshid Cawasji Katrak Tehran 1960]