| This is the story of "Rustam and Sohrab" from the great Shahnama (Book of the Kings). The Shahnama is a poetic epic written by the Persian/Tajik poet Ferdowsi around 1000 AD. The Shahnama tells the mythical and historical past of Persia from the creation of the world up until the Arab invasion of Persia. The Shahnama, written in Persian, has been pivotal for reviving the Persian language subsequent to the influence of Arabic. The Book of the Kings is regarded as a literary masterpiece which reflects Persia's history, cultural values, its ancient religion, Zoroasterianism, and its profound sense of nationhood. This particular story of Rustam and Sohrab is only one of the many chapters in the Shahnama. Rustam has always been a hero to Persians/Tajiks as well as other Persian speakers. The Shahnama is very important, especially nowadays, because contrary to what people think today, it does not represent just the political country of Iran. Instead, the epic covers parts of modern-day Afghanistan, as well as Iran, Tajikistan, and the cities of Samarqand and Bukhara. Though the peoples of these regions are separated against their will by such political borders it can not change the fact that they share the same language, culture and history and, importantly, Rustam is still their hero. The Shahnama is valued above the Quran and fortunately the Persians/Tajiks are rediscovering their roots and shaking loose from the hold that Arabic had on them. They are realizing just how ... |
