Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• hamide parvan ¹
• zahra riahizamin ²

¹ shiraz universty

² Shiraz University. Department of Persian Language and Literature

Abstract

There are various narratives about Bahram Chobin. A study of historical sources and the Shahnameh identifies four main perspectives: (1) popular stories and epic legends supporting Bahram; (2) views of priests and his soldiers; (3) perspectives of the court and troops loyal to Khosrow; and (4) popular tales supporting Khosrow. This study, using a descriptive-analytical approach, examines Bahram Chobin narratives in historical sources and the Shahnameh.
The story can be analyzed in three sections. First, from his appointment to fight the Turks to his encounter with Khosrow near Nahrawan; second, from Khosrow’s flight to Rome to his return; and third, the final battle and Bahram’s flight to the Chinese khagan. Due to the absence of the original Bahram Chobin-nama, the connection of the first section to that text cannot be definitively proven. However, comparative analysis shows that it aligns with narratives supporting Bahram, which were likely prominent in the Bahram Chobin-nama.
In the first section, Bahram’s story merges with national and heroic tales, including figures like Esfandiyar and Arash, and appears in Persian, Arabic, and Armenian sources, including Sebeos’ History. In contrast, narratives supporting Khosrow rely on the Khoday-nama, reflecting the official Sasanian viewpoint. In the second and third sections, official and Khosrow-supporting narratives dominate, though accounts of Bahram’s battlefield skill at the khagan’s court and his heroism with Gordiyeh align with “the first and second perspectives. Ferdowsi, in organizing the tales, seems to have drawn not only from the Khoday-nama but also from texts like the Bahram Chobin-nama, which likely included popular viewpoints. These connections suggest a gradual, multi-layered integration of official and unofficial, often conflicting perspectives, which Ferdowsi restructured into a coherent narrative.

Keywords

• Bahrām Chōbīn
• History
• Epic
• Shāhnāmeh
• Ferdowsi

Main Subjects

• متون حماسی