Zoroastrian Heritage: February 2013

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Pahlavans & Sakastan 9. Religion

In nine parts: » 1. Introduction » 2. Timur's Account » 3. Lineage & Nation » 4. Thraetaona & Thrita. Keresaspa & Urvakhshaya. Varena, Rangha & Patashkhvargar » 5. Trita, Visvarupa & Ahi in the Vedas » 6. Battles with Dragon-Snakes » 7. Garshasp, Saam & Zal in the Shahnameh » 8. End Times. The Renovation of the World » 9. Religion in Sakastan

Abbreviations
Lesser Bundahishn (translated by E. W. West) = LB
Greater Bundahishn (translated by B. T. Anklesaria) = GB
Avesta = Av
Yasht = Yt
Yasna = Y
Vendidad = V

The Land of Sistan and the Proclamation of Zoroastrianism
A.W. Jackson in Zoroaster, Prophet of Ancient Iran (pp. 44-45) points out that Zarathushtra after being rebuffed by Vedvoist the Karap in the early years of his ministry (Dinkard 7.4.25), went to Sagastan (Sistan) to preach to Parshat-gau (Dk 7.4.31).

A section from Afdih va Sahikih-i Sagastan (Wonders of the Land of Sagastan) reads as follows:
6. King Vishtasp produced the progress of religion first in Sagastan at Lake Frazdan, and afterwards in the other provinces*. There, King Vishtasp held a conference with Zaratusht and Seno, son of Ahumstut of Bust**. This disciple of Zaratusht, Seno, was the first in a long line of disciples, who as part of their discipleship wrote the various Avestan Nasks (books of the Avesta). From this proceeded the family of the good*** with the purpose of keeping the religion of Sagastan progressive and that it may be taught. (Translated by E.W. West and adapted by this author.)

(Notes regarding the above paragraph: *We presume King Vishtasp started this campaign in his home kingdom of Balkh/Bakhdhi and that Sistan came next. **According to A.W. Jackson, Dr. West noted that Bust or Bustig was described by the pseudo Ibn-Haukal as located on the River Hermand, between Ghor and the lake (see Ouseley's Oriental Geography, p. 206). Bust was therefore in Sistan. ***This writer was intuitively reminded of 'Airyaman Ishyo' (Y 54.1) and the men and women who formed the 'family' of Zarathushtra who some writers describe or translate as a 'brotherhood' while others as a group of priests.)

Lake Frazdanava / Frazdan
Sistan-Zabulistan's Lake Frazdanava/Frazdan features prominently in Zoroastrian history and the development of Zoroastrianism. Jackson at page 210 (ibid) states: "The nearest approach in the Avesta to a definite statement regarding Vishtasp's whereabouts is found in two references to places where he offers sacrifice (prayers) for victory in battle over Arejat-aspa (Arjasp) in the holy war of the religion, or when on a religious crusade. One of these sacrifices (prayers) is offered 'on the farther side of the water of Frazdanava*' (Aban Yt. 5. 108, pasne apam frazdanaom) for victory over three unbelievers one of whom is the inveterate foe, Arejat-aspa (Aban Yt. 5. 109, Tathryavantem duzdaenem, Peshanemcha daevayasnem, drvantemcha Arejat-aspam)." (The other two in the Avestan line above are, Tathravant, of the bad law, and Peshana, the worshipper of the daeva. Arejat-aspa is the Arjasp of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh who waged a war against Vishtasp on hearing that Vishtasp had accepted Zarathushtra's teachings. However, unlike Ferdowsi's assertion that Arjasp was a Turanian, the Avesta states that Arejat-aspa was a Hvyaona/Khvyaona.)

(Notes: *According to the Lesser Bundahishn at 22.5, Frazdanava (Lake Frazdan) is in Sistan. Jackson quotes Justi and West as identifying Frazdanava with the Ab-istadah Lake, south of Ghazni. Though Ghazni in part of the upper Helmand basin, it is over 700 km north-east of Zabul. Contemporary authors identify Lake Frazdan with Hamun Lake near Zabul in Sistan. We discuss the two lakes on page 1.)

In some ways it is difficult to identify Ghazni's Ab-istadah Lake with the Lake Frazdanava/Frazdan of Zoroastrian texts. In other ways, since the lake's location is closer Balkh* - the place commonly said to be King Vishtasp's capital - it would appear to be a more reasonable location for Vishtasp's campaign without the need to wonder what happened in a thousand kilometres of intervening territory between Balkh and Sistan.

(Notes: *Regarding Balkh, medieval Iranian authors Ferdowsi, Dakiki, Yakut, Mirkhond, Biruni and Masudi state that Balkh - founded by Vishtasp's father Lohrasp - was Vishtasp's capital. Biruni states that Balkh was the original residence of the Kayanians and Mirkhond calls Vishtasp's father Lohrasp, 'Lohrasp the Bactrian'. Masudi says Balkh was the ancient Iranian's royal capital. With regard to Zarathushtra, besides Balkh becoming his residence automatically when Vishtasp became his patron and when he became Vishtasp's advisor, there is also a tradition that there was a portrait of Zarathushtra in Balkh. Balkh was also where Zarathushtra was murdered by the Turanians under Arjasp. King Vishtasp (Gushtasp) was engaged in a religious crusade in Sistan and Zabulistan, when the Turanians under Arjasp stormed Balkh, slew Lohrasp in battle before the walls and killed Zoroaster. On hearing the news, Vishtasp returned from Sistan and routed Arjasp and his forces.)

Perhaps both lakes, Ab-istadah Lake and Lake Frazdanava/Frazdan, had some kind of role in Zoroastrian history. Later writers based in a different land and time may have amalgamated events associated with each of the two lakes into a single lake. We can assume that the entire Sistan-Zabulistan region, i.e., the entire Helmand basin was the scene of Vishtasp's campaign as also Zarathushtra's ministry (all with other places in Central Asia).

We had noted at the start of these notes that the Aban Yasht at 5.108 had linked Lake Frazdanava with Vishtasp's campaign translated as 'Kavi Vishtaspa offered a sacrifice (prayers) on the farther side of the water of Frazdanava' or 'Kavi Vishtaspa offered up a sacrifice (prayers) behind Lake Frazdanava'. In the next verse, the Aban Yasht at 5.112-3 states that similarly Zarir, King Vishtasp's valiant younger brother, offered prayers on the farther side of the River Daitya. Yasht 9.29 also has King Vishtasp offering prayers at the Daitya. These prayer offerings included a plea for the ability to overcome Arejat-aspa (see above).

River Daitya
The River Daitya in Airyana Vaeja also features prominently in Zoroastrian history. We do not know if the unity of purpose and the proximity of Lake Frazdanava/Frazdan and the River Daitya in the Aban Yasht's verses suggest a geographical proximity as well. In other words, is the River Daitya geographically close to the Frazdanava? If so, the implications are huge since all manners of deductions flow as a consequence of the equation.

At the outset, the River Daitya is said to flow through Airyana Vaeja (cf. Aban Yasht 5.17 'Airyana Vaeja, by the good river Daitya') and therefore if the River Daitya and Lake Frazdanava are close by geographically, then Airyana Vaeja must be somewhere in the regional vicinity of the lake as well. The Bundahishns describe the River Daitya as "coming out from Eranvej (Airyana Vaeja/Ancient Aryana), and going out through the hill-country" (LB 20.13 and GB 11A.7). The LB adds 'of all rivers the noxious creatures in it are most, as it says, that the Daitya river is full of noxious creatures.'

Religion in the Sakastan (Sistan-Zabulistan)
While Ferdowsi mentions Sistan and Zabulistan almost synonymously, they are neighbouring but separate districts and Zabulistan is not to be confused with the city of Zabul in Sistan. Zabulistan lies to the east of Sistan, upstream along the south bank of the Helmand. It would have bordered the kingdom of Kabul.

Religion in Helmand/Haetumant Basin (Sistan-Zabulistan)
Vendidad 1.13 states: 'The eleventh of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura Mazda, created, was the bright, glorious Haetumant. Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and who spread the evil work of witchcraft. 14. And this is the sign by which it (Haetumant) is known, this is that by which it is recognized at once: where-soever they may go and raise a cry of sorcery, there the worst works of witchcraft go forth. From there they come to kill and strike at heart, and they bring locusts as many as they want.'

Daeva worship in the Zabulistan region was tenacious and continued into the medieval ages. The History of India Told by its own Historians by H.M. Elliot (1869, Vol. 2, p. 172) cites the Jamiu-l-Hikayat of Muhammad Uffi as stating: It is related that 'Amru Lais (878-900 CE) brother of Yaqub Lais and ruler of Kerman and Fars) conferred the governorship of Zabulistan on Fardaghan and sent him there at the head of four thousand horses. There was a large Hindu place of worship in that country, which was called Sakawand/Sakavand* (also called Bahawand or Sajawand. Note the component 'Saka' in Sakawand. According to R.N.Frye it is in the Logar valley between Ghazni and Kabul. According to Warwick Ball in Archaeological Gazetteer of Afghanistan (1982, n. 971) it is in the mountains of Logar Province 15 km south-west of Baraki, which is 70 km south of Kabul to the west of the road to Gardez), and people used to come on pilgrimage from the most remote parts of Hindustan to the idols of that place. When Fardaghan arrived in Zabulistan he led his army against it, took the temple, broke the idols in pieces, and overthrew the idolaters. The History and Culture of the Indian People by R.C. Majumdar, B.V. Bhavan and B.I. Samiti (1969) at p. 113 states: Fardaghan, the governor of Zabulistan region around Ghazni under Amr ibn Layth, plundered Sakawand (Sakavand), a place of pilgrimage to God Zhun, which was within the kingdom of the Shahis. Before the arrival of Islam, a temple of Zhun was also said to stand in Zamindawar on a sacred mountain. The temple had continued to exist in the later ninth century when the Saffarids Yaqub and Amir Lais conquered the area as far as Kabul. The district of Zamindawar was situated on the right bank of the Helmand River to the north-west of Kandahar.

Religion in Kabul
Vendidad 1.9 states: 'The seventh of the good lands and countries which I, Ahura Mazda, created, was Vaekereta*, of the evil shadows. Thereupon came Angra Mainyu, who is all death, and he caused the Pairika** Knathaiti to extol Keresaspa' (*Vaekereta = Gadara (OP)/Kalpul or Kavul (Ph)/Modern Kabul, E Afghanistan & N.W. Indus including Gandhara. **Pairika is a fairy, nymph and seductress. Presumably Keresaspa was seduced by the pairi Knathaiti.)

The Greater Bundahishn at 31.0.17-18 gives us an elaboration: 'The seventh best land created was Kavul of bad shadows - that which is Kavulastan and where the umbrage of the trees is bad for the body. The adversity of a desire for the pariks (paris, i.e. fairies) came to it the most. There too the practice dev-worship which Saam used to perform. There is the sin of walking without the sacred thread.'

Saam/Saama & Rustam(?) Scorn Becoming a Mazdayasni
GB 29.8: As regards Saam (Saama) they say, "He was immortal. At the time when he scorned the Revelation of Mazda worship (i.e. Saam rejected becoming a Mazdayasni)...." The use of the name can cause confusion. The Saam being referred to here is Saama, Keresaspa (Garshasp) grandfather or ancestor. The Pahlavi writers may have confused him with Saam, Zal's father. In any event, both Saam and Zal lived before Zarathushtra's time and therefore the Mazda worship i.e. belief in God, that Saama rejected my have been the pre-Zoroastrian Mazdayasni faith which is a generic term for worshippers of God, perhaps the Ahuras as opposed to the worshippers of the Daevas.

A.W. Jackson who we have cited above, states at p. 212, that Rustam similarly "held out against conversion to Zoroastrianism." Jackson does not give us a reference for this assertion and we feel the reference here is to Rustam becoming a Mazdayasni (as in the case of Saam). If so, Jackson is making an equation between the Zoroastrian Mazdayasni faith and the pre-Zoroastrian Mazdayasni faith.

Pahlavans & Sakastan pages:
» 1. Introduction
» 2. Timur's Account
» 3. Lineage & Nation
» 4. Thraetaona & Thrita. Keresaspa & Urvakhshaya. Varena, Rangha & Patashkhvargar
» 5. Trita, Visvarupa & Ahi in the Vedas
» 6. Battles with Dragon-Snakes
» 7. Garshasp, Saam & Zal in the Shahnameh
» 8. End Times. The Renovation of the World
» 9. Religion in Sakastan

Monday, February 11, 2013

Pahlavans & Sakastan 8. End Times. Role of the Pahlavans at the Renovation of the World

Pahlavans & Sakastan 7. Garshasp, Saam & Zal in the Shahnameh

Pahlavans & Sakastan 6. Battles with Dragon-Snakes

Pahlavans & Sakastan 2. Timur's Account

Black Mountain or Kuh-e Khajeh near Zabol in Sistan, Iran
Fire Temple Courtyard
Image Credit: Hamid-Golpesar at Flickr

Kuh-e Khajeh in the background with Parthian-Sassanian era ruins in the foreground.
Image credit: Atousa at Trekearth

"One day, the Hamun River* appeared, and I saw that it was so extensive that its opposite banks couldn't be seen. On the banks of the river were grasslands as far as the eye could see. In those grasslands were lean cows with ling horns busy pasturing. And in the river were sail-boats and barges navigating." (*Since Hamun appears to mean lake, we presume that Timur arrived at the western shore of the Hamun Lake which in his time might have been one large lake- an inland sea in the old days. Zabul city on the lake's eastern shores which have receded since then.)

"Sometimes a call was heard, and the guides explained that it was the call of the Zabuli naval travellers and when are in ships or barges, they communicate with each other through special sounds. There voices were so loud that they could communicate from one side of the river with others who were on the other side of the river in ships, barges, or on the opposite banks. When I heard the sounds of the naval travellers from close by, they sounded to me like the call of Rustam. I said to myself, 'Rustam of Zabul must have called in the same manner.'"

"I stopped at the side of the Hamun River and decided to send an envoy to the Amir of Zabulistan... I watched with amazement as a group riding on cows approached from afar. The cows were galloping like horses.... An old man who had a white beard... shouted, 'I am Garshasb (Garshasp), the descendant of Gudarz, the chief of Zabulistan! Who is Amir Timur?'"

The party dismounted. "Those who were next to me bit their fingers in amazement because the men's figures were so tall that one would think they were the progeny of giants, not humans. All had long beards, but the difference was that some had white beards, while others had black, and some grey. Their clothing was a long garment, and they had thrown one end of the garments over their left shoulder."

The king of Zabulistan invited Timur to his palace. "We headed towards the city, galloping away from the Hamun River. There were grasslands everywhere, and it was evident that Zabulistan was a fertile and green region. The city I saw was extensive, and on subsequent days, I noticed a great number of Indian clothing in the city, and it was evident that the city was in continuous commerce with Hindustan. Garshasb was very hospitable towards me and tried to make it very pleasant for me."

(We note that a frequent observation by Timur was regarding trade. He had seen caravans from Yazd and Kerman in the west as well as evidence of trade with India in the east.)

"On the second day, ...he (Garshasb) took me outside the city. We arrived at a fortress that was in ruins. He said to me, 'Rustam was born into the world here.' I asked him if he knew at what point in time Rustam came into the world in that fortress. The man said, "Rustam was born in this fortress fifteen hundred years ago." After we saw the ruined fortress, he took me towards a mountain and said, "This is a mountain that Rustam would climb during his youth and battle with falcons."

(There are very few hills in the vicinity of Zabul other than Black Mountain or Kuh-e Khajeh which has ruins said to date back to ancient times and reputed to be the fort of Saam, Rustam's grandfather. Timur is writing this story in his late sixties and may have forgotten some of the details. On the first occasion he might have seen the mountain from a distance and on the second occasion approached it from a different direction.)

"Because Garshasb, the Chief of Zabulistan, knew that I enjoyed Ferdowsi's poetry, he used every opportunity to recite one of Ferdowsi's poems. ...I saw thousands of Rustams in Zabulistan. ...One of the things that amazed me was that I found out that one could harvest three times a year in Zabulistan because the weather is warm and the water plentiful."

"Amir Garshasb took me on a boat and gave me a ride around the Hamun River (Likely Hamun Lake) and said, "In the time of Rustam, the breadth of this river (lake) was more than what you see now. Little by little, the Hamun River is shrinking. Parts that are under water change into land, and perhaps in another thousand years, this river will dry up and our descendants might not see it." (A prescient observation. Today, the lake periodically dries up entirely.)

"I asked the Chief of Zabulistan, "Is it possible that I hire some of the tall and strong men of Zabulistan and create a force with them?" The Chief of Zabulistan said, "Amir Timur, you are my guest, and it is mandatory for the host to accept the requests of his guest, but I cannot accept this request because the inhabitants of this land will not become soldiers to a foreign army. If I ask them to become your soldiers, they will not accept. This is Iran, and from the time of Rustam until now, the men of Iran are accustomed to becoming soldiers only in Iran's army, and they will not take part in any foreign armies."

Pahlavans & Sakastan pages:
» 1. Introduction
» 2. Timur's Account
» 3. Lineage & Nation
» 4. Thraetaona & Thrita. Keresaspa & Urvakhshaya. Varena, Rangha & Patashkhvargar
» 5. Trita, Visvarupa & Ahi in the Vedas
» 6. Battles with Dragon-Snakes
» 7. Garshasp, Saam & Zal in the Shahnameh
» 8. End Times. The Renovation of the World
» 9. Religion in Sakastan

Pahlavans & Sakastan 3. Lineage & Nation

In nine parts: » 1. Introduction » 2. Timur's Account » 3. Lineage & Nation » 4. Thraetaona & Thrita. Keresaspa & Urvakhshaya. Varena, Rangha & Patashkhvargar » 5. Trita, Visvarupa & Ahi in the Vedas » 6. Battles with Dragon-Snakes » 7. Garshasp, Saam & Zal in the Shahnameh » 8. End Times. The Renovation of the World » 9. Religion in Sakastan

Related Reading
» Saka
» The Pahlavan Heroes - Their Story in Brief
» The Shahnameh

Abbreviations
Lesser Bundahishn (translated by E. W. West) = LB
Greater Bundahishn (translated by B. T. Anklesaria) = GB
Avesta = Av
Yasht = Yt
Yasna = Y
Vendidad = V

Lineage & and Princedoms of the Sistani Pahlavans
Linage in the Avesta
The lineage of the Sistani Pahlavans in the Avesta is difficult to determine and we quote here some relevant Avestan passages. The Avestan names Thraetaona evolved to Feridoon, and Keresaspa to Garshasp.

Yasna (equivalent to the Hom Yasht) 9.7-10:
Y 9.7: Thereupon Haoma answered: Athwya the holy one who drove death afar was the second (person) who prepared me for the corporeal world. The boon he received was the birth of his son, Thraetaona of the mighty clan.

Y 9.10: Thereupon Haoma answered: Thrita [gloss remark*: the most helpful of the Saamas] the holy one who drove death afar was the third (person) who prepared me for the corporeal world. The boon he received was the birth of two sons, Urvakhshaya and Keresaspa**, the first a judge who established order, and the second, a youth of great ascendancy, curly haired, and a bludgeon bearing. (*We do not know the circumstances or the date at which the gloss was inserted in the codex.) (**Urvakhsh and Karsasp in the later, Middle Persian language of the Greater Bundahishn - see below. Karsasp would further evolve to Garshasp in New Persian, the language of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh.)

Most authors conclude that Thraetaona and Trita are the same person Also see our page Thraetaona & Thrita. Depending on whether or not this equation is sustainable, the genealogy of the Sistani Pahlavans will change. Later texts state a more explicit lineage. We note here that the gloss makes Thrita part of the House of Saama (The Farvarvardin Yasht verse we quote below is more explicit) and Thraetaona part of the Athwya clan. If Thraetaona and Trita are the same person and since Athwya is Thraetaona's father, the equation would make Saama precede Athwya.

Keresaspa the Saama (Saamahe Keresaspahe)
13.136. We revere the Fravashi (soul-spirit) of the holy Keresaspa, the Saama, (Saamahe Keresaspahe) the club-bearer with plaited hair; to withstand the dreadful arm and the hordes with the wide battle array, with the many spears, with the straight spears, with the spears uplifted, bearing the spears of havoc; to withstand the dreadful brigand who works destruction, the man (giant?)-slayer who has no mercy; to withstand the evil done by the brigand.

At this point all that we can conclude is that
1. Thraetaona/Feridoon is the son of Athwya and therefore part of the Athwya clan, and
2. Thrita is the father of Keresaspa/Garshasp and Urvakhshaya, and
3. Keresaspa/Garshasp belongs to the House of Saama, an eponymous ancestor.

Linage & Princedoms in the Bundahishn
The Bundahishns are Middle Persian texts which presently exists as two editions, the Greater and Lesser Bundahishns (GB & LB respectively). We should note here that there are two different personages who bear a similar name Saama/Saam: Saama, the eponymous founder of the House of Saama, as well as the Saam who we have mentioned in our introductory page. The Bundahishn passages below refer to the second Saam.

LB 31.36. Those begotten by Saam were six children in pairs, male and female. The name of one (pair) was Damnak, of another was Khosraw, and of yet another was Margandak, and the name of each man and woman together was one (we presume this means there are six children being mentioned here and that each name represents brother and sister twins.
LB 31.37. The name of another was Dastan (Zal) and he was considered more eminent than the others. He was given (to govern, presumably by Saam) the southern quarter of the kingdom, Sagansih (Sagastan, the main Saga/Saka homeland). Avarnak was given Avar-shatro (Upper District?) to govern.
LB 31.38. Of Avar-shatro, the district of Avarnak, it is said that they offered blessings to Sraosh and Ardwahisht (archangels) in succession, and as a result they possessed (large numbers) of horses and arms. Further, on account of their firm religion, purity, and manifest joy, they were held in high esteem and gained extensive fame.
LB 31.39. To Damnak the governorship of Asuristan (commonly taken to mean Syria but which is unlikely in our estimation) was given. They/he was also tasked with developing sovereignty and the law of sovereignty, as well as seeking solutions to stubborn problems.
LB 31.40. To Sparnak the governorship of Spahan was delegated, and Khosraw was delegated the governorship of Rai. Margandak was delegated governorship of the forested mountain settlements of Padashkhvargar (Alburz Mountains south of the Caspian Sea), where people live like nomads and who have large herds of sheep, are prolific, procreate, and continually triumph over their enemies.
LB 31.41. From Dastan (Zal) proceeded Rudastam (Rustam) and Huzavarak (Hu-Zavarak meaning Good-Zavarak? According to translator of the LB, E.W. West, the name is also written as Auzvarak). Rustam's (Rudastam's) brother is called Zavarah in the Shahnameh.]

GB 35.0.32. Karsasp and Urvakhsh (Keresaspa and Urvakhshaya in the earlier Avestan language) were both brothers.
GB 35.0.33. Athrat was son of Saam, son of Tura, son of Spaenyasp, son of Duroshasp, son of Tuj, son of Faridoon. (In the Shahnameh, Feridoon had three sons, Iraj, Tur and Salm. Tuj and Tur are the same and this entire line of descendants are those from Tuj/Tur, otherwise called Tuji or Turanians.)
GB 35.0.42. Of Saam six pairs of male and female children were born. They were Damu, Khusru, and Marinda by name. Both male and female had one name.
GB 35.0.43. Of the others, one was Dastan (Zal) by name. He was designated as more senior to the others and was assigned to be the prince of the Sakas. (The Greater Bundahishn therefore cements the entire line of Sistani Saka Pahlavans as having descended from Feridoon via Tuj/Tur. In doing so, the GB also indirectly equates the Turanians with Saka.) Saam gave Dastan (Zal) the southern quarter (to govern).
GB 35.0.43 contd. Saam gave the governorship of Awarshatr to Awaro. 44. 'Awarshatr' is called the country of Awaro. 45. These princely men praised Srosh and Ardwahisht in union. Therefore, (the received the boon of) possessing cavalry and the weapons required for strong archery. They also (gained the reputation for) purity, fame, happiness, music, and celebrity.
GB 35.0.46. Saam gave Damu the governorship of Asurastan. 47. Kingship, the organization of the law of Kingship, the navigation of the sea, and the endurance of severe problems were allotted to them (the pair). GB 35.0.48. He gave to Sparo the governorship of Ispahan.
GB 35.0.49. He gave to Khusru the governorship of Raye.
GB 35.0.50. He assigned to Marinda the governorship of Patashkhvargar, the erasing of forests, and the dwelling in mountains, going on mission, making night attacks, good living, happy living, and continual victory over enemies.GB 35.0.
GB 35.0.51. Of Dastan (Zal) were Rotastahm (Rustam) and Uzvara born.]

Summary of the lineage and vice-regal princedoms in the Bundahishns:
Feridoon
Tuj (Tur) (Asadi has Tur not as the son of Feridoon, but as a different person descended from Jamsheed q.v. François de Blois's article 'Karšāsp-nāma' at Iranica. De Blois feels Anklesaria's Bundahishn edition was "a very late addition, evidently derived from Islamic sources." )
Duroshasp
Spaenyasp
Tura/Turak
Saam [LB has Zaeshm (Saam's brother?) father of Pashang (his brother was Visak) father of Frasiyav (Afrasiab) who waged war with the descendants of Iraj.]
Athrat
Karsasp (Av. Keresaspa and later Garshasp) and Urvakhsh (Av. Urvakhshaya)

Saam's children & princedoms:
(In order for Saam to have assigned the governorship of various sub-kingdoms to his children means that these lands would originally have been part of his domain.)
Damnak/Damu governed Asuristan/Asurastan (Assyria)
Khosraw/Khusru governed Rai/Raye
Margandak/Marinda governed Padashkhvargar/Patashkhvargar (forested mountain lands with a nomadic people)
Dastan (Zal) governed Sagansih (Sagastan, Sistan. He was prince of the Sakas)
Avarnak/Awaro governed Avar-shatro/Awarshatr (Upper District?)
Sparnak/Sparo governed Spahan/Ispahan (Isfahan)

Dastan (Zal)'s children were:
Rudastam /Rotastahm (Rustam)
Huzavarak/Uzvara/Auzvarak (Zavarah in the Shahnameh)

Lineage & Princedoms in the Shahnameh
Jamsheed, Garshasp, Nariman, Saam, Zal (married Princess Rudabeh, the King of Kabul's daughter), Rustam (married Princess Tahmina), Sohrab and Barzu.

Saam received from his overlord, King of Iran-Shahr, Manuchehr, a throne of turquoise, a crown of gold, a ruby signet-ring and a golden girdle. Manuchehr further gave Saam with a charter investing him him lands under his domain. These included: Kabul-Gandhara, Dunbur (derived from Sanskrit Udyanapura to Adynpur to Dunpur - a major city of Lamghanat, on the right bank of the River Kabul), May-e Hind (from Vay-hind, capital of Gandhara and the region between the Kabul and Indus rivers above their confluence), lands from the Darya-e Hind (Indus River) to Darya-e Chin (this could mean the Sea of China i.e. India to Indo-China or perhaps Chen-ab River, an Indus tributary which irrigates Multan i.e. Hapta Hindu, the upper Indus basin), lands from Zabulistan to the other side of Bust/Bost (Lashkar-gah, Southern Afghanistan). In this manner Saam becomes a mini- shah-en-shah or an vice-regal governor between the king-of-kings and local kings.

Some lines from the Shahnameh read as follows:
One day Zal set forth on a royal progress,
With chiefs attached to him as advisers and in matters of faith,
To view Kabul, Dunbur, Margh*, Mai and Hind.
He reached Kabul with gladness in his heart.
There ruled a certain monarch named Mihrab.
A wealthy and successful potentate,
Descended from Zahhak, he ruled Kabul,
But having not the power to fight with Saam
Paid yearly tribute.

(Here, we see the hierarchy of lordship. Minuchehr was the Iranian (Aryan king-of-kings). Saam was Minuchehr's vassal king but also a vice-regal governor who had other kingdoms such as Kabul paying tribute - another name for an imposed tax - to him. While it was historic loyalty of the Pahlavans to the Iranian/Aryan throne that kept Saam in the federation, strength was needed to keep other kingdoms such as Kabul in the fold, especially since Mihrab had descended from a foreign king Zahhak, who had once seized Aryana by force. It is quite likely that Mihrab had lords (such as village lords and estate lords) and nobles under him who in turn provided him tribute or taxes. The King of Kabul's daughter, Rudabeh, would become Zal's wife further cementing the alliance - though all alliances within the federation were always tenuous and needed constant policing. Mihrab incidentally, was the old Aryan name for the Indus River.)

Linage in the Garshasp Nameh of Asadi Tusi
Saam, Etret, Garshasp (Karshasp). Preceding Saam, Asadi as well as the Tarikh-e Sistan, list approximately the same genealogy as the Greater Bundahishn except that they make Tur a son of Jamsheed instead of Feridoon. Tur was born of Jamsheed and the Princess of Kurang/Gurang. The king of Kurang accepts Tur as his own heir. Tur is succeeded by his son Shedasp father of Ṭovorg/Ṭuvorg father of Sham father of Etreṭ father of Garshasp. Garshasp is born 700 years after Tur. Garshasp has a brother named Kurang who has a son called Nariman who Garshasp adopts. The Tarikh-e Sistan however has Kurang as Garshasp's son and Nariman as Garshasp's grandson.

Composite Lineage of the Sistani Saka Pahlavans
Feridoon (Thraetaona) or Jamsheed
Tuj (Tur)/ another Tur descended from Jamsheed
Duroshasp
Spaenyasp/Shedasp
Tura/Turak/Ṭovorg
Sham/Saama founder of the House of Saama
Athrat/Etret
Keresaspa (Garshasp)
Kurang/Gurang
Nariman
Saam
Dastan (Zal married Princess Rudabeh, the King of Kabul's daughter)
Rudastam /Rotastahm (Rustam married Princess Tahmina)
Sohrab
Barzu

As we had noted earlier, the Sistani Pahlavans descended from Garshasp a member of the House of Saam and a descendant of Tuj/Tur - therefore a Tuji or Turanian. Given that the Sistani Pahlavans were also Saka, the linkage here is between the Saka and Turanians.

Pahlavans & Sakastan pages:
» 1. Introduction
» 2. Timur's Account
» 3. Lineage & Nation
» 4. Thraetaona & Thrita. Keresaspa & Urvakhshaya. Varena, Rangha & Patashkhvargar
» 5. Trita, Visvarupa & Ahi in the Vedas
» 6. Battles with Dragon-Snakes
» 7. Garshasp, Saam & Zal in the Shahnameh
» 8. End Times. The Renovation of the World
» 9. Religion in Sakastan

Pahlavans & Sakastan 1. Introduction

Helmand River Basin. Image Credit: Wikipedia.

Helmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan. Originating about 40 km west of Kabul in the Koh-e Baba heights of the Hindu Kush mountain range, the Helmand is joined by five tributaries — the Kajrud (Kudrud), Arghandab, Terin, Argastan, and Tarnakit. The river flows for approximately 1,300 km before terminating in the Hamun-e Helmand, a lake in present day Iran. Along the way, it passes through the provinces of Wardak, Oruzgan, Helmand, and Nimruz. Before arriving at the Iran-Afghanistan border, the river passes through the Dasht-e Margo or Margo Desert where it splits into two streams. One continues to be called the Helmand and is known locally as Darya-ye Sistan meaning the Sistan River. It flows through the Sistan plains where it is used to irrigate fields. The second stream which is called the Siksar or the Parian, forms the Afghan-Persian border and the two border villages of Naru'i and Miankangi lie on its banks. The river has been known to have changed its course over the centuries especially in the lower plains.

The Hamun Lakes - Daryachehye Hamun
A thousand years ago and more, what are now three lakes and a marshland was the great inland sea called the Daryacheh-e Hamun in which the mighty Helmand - the Nile of Southern Afghanistan - discharged its waters. What remains today are three Hamun lakes:

Hamun-e Helmand also called Sistan Lake (Iran) is the southernmost. The only hill in the region, Kuh-e Khajeh (see below) used to lie within the lake but it now located on the lake's mid-eastern shore.
Hamun-e Saban/Saberi (divided between Iran and Afghanistan) to the north of the Hamun-e Helmand/Sistan Lake and north-north-west of Zabul, and
Hamun-e Puzak, to the east of Lake Saban and which lies in Afghanistan.

The three principle Hamun lakes. Clockwise from the bottom are Hamun-e Helmand, Hamun-e Saban and Hamun-e Puzak (top right). Zabul/Zabol is located midway between the lakes. Image credit: Wikimapia.

A fourth area, a marshland called the Gowd-e Zereh in the extreme south-east corner of Afghanistan was also likely a lake connected to the Hamun-e Helmand in early times. We notice that in some texts, the Hamun lakes are called the Zarah Lake, and we wonder if 'Zarah Lake' is meant to mean the Gowd-e Zereh.

The Hamun is connected with both the early history of the Aryans and with the end times in Zoroastrian eschatology, when a third and final saviour (named the Saoshyant in the Avesta and Soshyans in Middle Persian texts) will appear to lead the world to a time of renovation when evil will be vanquished forever.

Sistani Lakes in Zoroastrian Texts
In the Avesta we have mention of one body of water in lands determined to be Sistan, while in the Bundahishn we have mention of two.

In the Avesta we have a Kasaem Haetumatem in Zamyad Yasht at 19.66 which states: Lake Kasava (Kasaoya) of the Haetumant (River) lies where Mount Ushidhau-Ushidarena (see Kuh-e Khajeh/Khvajeh below) stands surrounded by waters flowing down from the mountain ranges.

The Middle Persian texts, the Bundahishns, have a Frazdan Lake and a Kyanish Sea located in Sagastan. This suggests one small and one large body of water. Statements in these texts regarding the two bodies of water are as follows:

Frazdan Lake
The Lesser Bundahishn (LB) at 22.5 and the Greater Bundahishn (GB) have a Lake Frazdan in Sagastan/Sigistan "where (when) a generous righteous man (a person) throws anything into the lake, the lake accepts it (perhaps as an offering). However, if (a person) is not righteous, the lake throws it out again. (The lake's) source also is connected with the wide-formed ocean." (All natural waters were considered connected in some fashion.)

The Bahman Yasht in its description of end times states at 3.13: "When the demon with dishevelled hair of the race of Wrath comes into notice in the eastern quarter, first a black token becomes manifest, and then (the saviour) Ushedar/Hushedar (or Khushedar)*, son of Zartosht, will be born at Lake Frazdan." [Middle Persian versions of the first saviour's name, the others being (H)usherdar-mah and Soshyans.]

The Afdih va Sahikih-i Sagastan (Wonders of the Land of Sagastan mentions the lake Frazdan, the Kyansih/Kiyansah Lake/Sea as well as the Aushdashtar Mountain as being in Sistan. Given that we have both a lake and a sea mention in Medieval texts, either the Hamun had by this time divided itself or the two are separate, unrelated bodies of water. of these, it is the Frazdan that is mention in texts concerning end times.

Contemporary authors commonly identify Frazdan Lake with Lake Hamun-e Helmand - given that it is the only lake with a 'mountain'. This identification, however, is not unanimous. Authors, Justi, West and Jackson identify the Frazdan with the Ab-istadah/Abe-Istada Lake, south of Ghazni. Ghazni, which is part of the upper Helmand basin, is over 600 km north-east of Zabul. As such, it can at a stretch still be considered a part of eastern Sistan at its border with Kabul.

Ab-istadah/Abe-Istada Lake, Ghazni, Zabulistan
The Ab-istadah/Abe-Istada (meaning standing water) is a salt lake that lies some 130 km SSE of Ghazni city and 200 km south of the Helmand River (just south of the Kuh-e Baba range). It has no outlet. It is some 27,000-13,000 ha in area. The bed has been known to be about 20 km wide though or average it shrinks to about 15 km, becoming completely dry by October in some years. The lake sits on a rolling plateau at a height of 2,100 m. The lake is fed by a river entering in the north-east and formed by a confluence of the Gardez, Ghazni and Nahara rivers. Semi-desert grasslands and mudflats surround the lake - the mudflats extending for 7 km on the east side and about 0.5 km on the west. At times, three islands appear within the lake. The lake and the region around it are important historically and archaeologically. Several mounds have been excavated and artifacts discovered.

The lake is closer both to Kabul and Balkh, bringing it more towards the centre of Kayanian Aryana. If Zarathushtra was at one time located at Balkh, King Vishtasp's capital, and if that Balkh is the same as the one today, then it is in closer proximity to Zarathushtra's centre of activity than Lake Hamun, which, as we had noted is come 600 km to the west.

There is little direct connection between the Ab-istadah Lake and the Helmand River (other than being at the very edge of the Helmand basin). Indirect connections include the Tarnak/Tarnakit River, a tributary of the Helmand, that flows past the lake at a distance of about 20 km. In addition, Ghazni borders present-day Zabul province, a province that is otherwise called Zabulistan. The names can be confusing. While Sistan has a city called Zabul, Zabulistan is a separate district. The ancient times, the districts were much larger and joined together to form Sistan-Zabulistan.

Kyanish/Kayansah Sea
LB 13.16-17. Of all the small seas, the one which was most wholesome was the Kyansih (Kayanian) Sea in Sagastan (Sakastan/Sistan). At first, noxious creatures, snakes, and lizards (vazagh) were not found in the sea and its water was sweeter than that of any other seas. Later, it became salty. Now, on account of a stench, it is not possible to go near the sea - one league at the closest. The stench, saltness and violence of the hot wind are now so very great. When the renovation (Frasho-kereti) of the universe occurs, the sea will become sweet again. [Today, if there is a singular identifying feature of the Hamun Lake region, it is the fierce (70-100 mph) hot winds (known as the winds of 120 days) that blow for three months in summer when temperatures rise to 50ºC . Echoing the description in the Bundahishn above, one 19th century author called the Hamun Lake district "the most odious place on earth."]

GB 10.16-18: Of the small seas the twentieth is the Kyansah Sea in Sigistan. At first, there were no noxious creatures, snakes, and frogs in it and its water was sweet. (Then, the sea became salty and) it was not proper to go near (this) salt sea up to a hathra (a league) owing to the stench in the vicinity (as well as) the blowing hot wind. When the renovation of the universe takes place, the sea will become sweet again.

Diversion of the Rivers by Frasiyav (Afrasiab)
The Frasiyav mentioned in the Bundahishns is the Turanian adversary of the Kayanian kings known as Afrasiab in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and Frangrasyn/Frangrasin in the Avesta (cf. Y 9.21; Aban Yt 41; Gosh Yt 18,22; Ashi Yt 38, 42; Zamyad Yt 56-63, 82, 93. The genealogy of Frasiyav can be found at LB 31.14.)

LB 20.34. Regarding Frasiyav (Afrasiab the Turanian adversary of the Kayanian kings) they say, that he diverted a thousand springs into the sea Kyansih (making it) suitable for horses, camels, oxen and asses, both great and small. He also diverted the spring Zarinmand (or golden source), which is the Hetumand river, into the same sea; and he diverted the seven navigable waters of the source of the Vachaeni River into the same sea, and then made people settle there. [It appears that Frasiyav/Afrasiab engaged in a water diversion program, perhaps by digging canals, thus providing sufficient water to the 'sea' in order to keep the water sweet i.e. suitable for animals (as drinking water?).]

GB 11A.32. As regards Frasiyav they say, "He diverted a thousand springs to the Kyansah Sea.... He diverted, to this sea (the) golden spring which is called the river Helmand. Having diverted the source of the River Vataeni and six navigable waters to this sea, he made people settle there."

LB 20.17. The Hetumand River is in Sagastan, and its sources are in the Aparsen (Paropamisus & Western Hindu Kush) range, this being the distinct from that which Frasiyav diverted (the rivers).

LB 21.6-7. Regarding the River Nahvtak it says, that Frasiyav (Afrasiab) of Tur conducted it away; and when Ushedar (the saviour, see above) comes it will flow again (and become) suitable for horses, as also the fountains (springs?) of the Kyansih Sea. 7. Kyansih is the home (jinak) of the Kayanian race.

GB 11C.5. Regarding the River Kataeni, one says that the Turanian Frasiyav excavated it with a mace (or some type of excavating tools?). It will flow again as big (deep?) as a horse when Ushitar (Ushidar, the saviour, see above) arrives as will the springs of the sea Kyansah. It is called Kyansah because the seed of the Kays is deposited there.

Kuh-e Khajeh/Khvajeh Mountain

Kuh-e Khajeh/Khvajeh as seen from the south-east during the wet season.
Image credit: mmishmast at Panoramio

Location
Kuh-e Khajeh/Khvajeh is a black basalt hill that is located 30 km SW of the town of Zabul in Iran's Sistan province. It is the only hill in the area and while it used to stand in the middle of Lake Hamun-e Helmand, it now stands on the diminishing lake's eastern shore.

The Names of the Mountain and their Meaning
Without the explanation we state next, the name Khajeh would likely be derived from 'khvajeh' meaning 'lord'. One of the few old references to the hill with it present name is in the twelfth century CE Tarikh-e Sistan (History of Sistan). This text states that the hill contains the shrine of Khawja Ali, a descendent of the Prophet Mohammed. The shrine is located on a slope on the other side of the hill to where Zoroastrian-era ruins are located, though unfortunately, the only access to the shrine is through the ruins. As a result, the historic ruins have been greatly damaged by the traffic.

In Timur's account (next page) the hill is called Black Mountain.

Mount Ushidhau-Ushidarena/Aushdashtar
We also find the hill currently referred to as Oshida Mountain which some people translate as 'Sacred Mountain'. Oshida is derived from Ushidhau-Ushidarena, a mountain mentioned in the Avesta's Zamyad Yasht at 19.0, 2, 97. The other Avestan references are at Yasna 1.14, 2.14, 3.16, 4.19, 6.13, 7.16, 17.14, 22.16, 25, 26, 25.7. Homorzd Yasht 28, 31. The name has evolved in several ways. The The Lesser Bundahishn at 12.15 says "Mount Ushdashtar/Aushdashtar lies in Sagastan." The Greater Bundahishn at 9.18 has "Mount Ushihdattar is in Sigistan." Darmesteter has the Pahlavi translation of the mountain's name as 'keeper of understanding'. Others have 'keeper of divine wisdom' or 'keeper of intelligence'. To us the name even sounds like 'keeper of the law'. The mountain's name also appears to be similar to the name of the second of two world saviours, Ushedarmah, in Middle Persian.

Zoroastrian-Era Ruins
On the hill's eastern slopes stand the ruins of a fort-citadel complex known as the Kaleye Saam (Fort of Saam) or Kaleye Kafiroon (Fort of the Infidels/Unbelievers i.e. Zoroastrians). The complex includes ruins of two forts and a citadel known variously as Kok-e Zal (Zal's citadel), Chehel Dokhtaran (forty girls) and Ghagha Shahr. Within the Ghagha Shahr citadel are the ruins of a Zoroastrian fire temple.

The ruins were first excavated by Marc Aurel Stein in 1915-1916, then again by Ernst Herzfeld from 1925 to 1929, and briefly by Giorgio Gullini in 1960. Herzfeld initially dated the palace complex to the Parthian/Arsacid period i.e 248 BCE to 224 CE. He later revised his dating to the Sassanid period i.e. 224 to 651 CE. Stein discovered numerous murals in what was later identified as the fire temple and which he had removed and housed in a New Delhi museum.

Overview of the ruins.
Image credit: Mohamad Reza Zare at Panoramio

Black Mountain or Kuh-e Khajeh near Zabol in Sistan, Iran
Fire Temple Courtyard
Image Credit: Hamid-Golpesar at Flickr

Zabul & Trade
The main modern town in the western Helmand basin is Zabul (or Zabol), currently in eastern Iran. The city of Zabul is not to be confused with the district of Zabulistan. Zabul city lies close to where the Helmand River enters the Hamun Lakes. Zabulistan district lies about 600 km east along the Helmand River and in the past, it would have bordered the kingdom of Kabul. Zabul city was a hub on the Aryan trade roads that radiated to Khorasan, Kerman, Yazd, Kabul, Baluchistan and India. The Central Asian Mongol-Turk conqueror of the Indian sub-continent Timurlane in his autobiography which we quote in the next page, mentions witnessing several trade caravans from Yazd and Kerman as well as goods he saw in Zabul's bazaar and which had been imported from Hind (India). The goods in Zabul's bazaar (and those that passed through Zabul on their way to other markets) included Chinese raw silk as well as Indian precious stones, perfumes, opium and spices. From lands to the south and west of Zabul came pearls from the Persian Gulf, wheat, barley, turmeric, asafoetida and medicinal herbs.

Shahr-e Sukhteh

Aerial view of the Shahr-e Sukhteh site.
Image credit: Wikimapia

The main ancient city discovered so far in the Hamun Lake district was Shahr-e Sukhteh (Shahr-i Sokhta). The contrived modern name (its ancient name is not known) means 'burnt city'. Archaeologists gave the city this name because it had been burnt by an invading force at the end of the third millennium BCE. Despite the conclusion of archaeologists that the city had been sacked three times during its thousand-year existence, there are no signs of any defensive walls around the settlement. The city was occupied and was functional from about 3,200 to 2,100 BCE. UNESCO has designated the ruins as a world heritage site.

The ruins lies about 50 km south of Zabul and are located on the banks of a dried river that was likely part of the Helmand River complex.

Skull of a woman with an artificial eye.
Image credit: Wikimapia

The 150 hectare city was fairly large for its time. It necropolis alone measured some 20 hectares with an estimated 40,000 graves.

One of the bodies uncovered was that of a 6 foot tall woman who had an artificial eye made from a light material thought to be bitumen covered with a thin gold film engraved with a central circle (likely the outline of an iris) with gold lines emanating like rays of the sun. On both sides of the eye tiny holes were drilled into the socket through which a golden thread was passed to hold the eyeball in place. These were the conclusions of Lorenzo Costantini, an Italian scientist after examining the skeleton discovered by archaeologist Mansour Sajjadi. Using dating techniques, the scientists have determined that the woman lived between 2900 and 2800 BCE.

Also uncovered at the site was the skull of a thirteen year old girl which shows signs of cranial surgery. The girl was determined to have been suffering from hydrocephalus, a condition of increased fluid accumulation in the brain that results in the enlargement of the head of the patient. (Other examples of cranial surgery called trepanation have been in Indus Valley ruins. Example of dental drilling have been discovered in Mehrgarh.)

Six-sided dice

The artifacts discovered at the site include a game like backgammon, six-sided dice, caraway seeds, slag, and crucible pieces - just to name a few examples that demonstrate the development of the culture. The various earthenware pots and utensils recovered alone weigh over a ton. Fabrics had up to 12 different colours. One clay goblet had a goat painted in what is reckoned to be the first known animated sequence (see below).

Pottery examples
Image credit: Wikimapia

Painted pottery with an animated goat sequence.
Image Credit: Tehran Times

Comb

The various artifacts discovered indicate that the people had developed a range of skilled professions including those of jewellers, artists, weavers and carpenters. These professions were in addition to the usual professions found in any settled and organized community - professions such as agriculturalists and animal livestock keepers.

The artifacts include items that are determined to have originated first (3,200-2,800 BCE) in eastern Baluchistan (perhaps in Mehrgarh on the edge of the Indus Valley) and throughout Aryana including Central Asia. Then from 2,800 to 2,500 BCE trade with western lands such as Khuzestan developed. From 2,500 BCE trade extended to Mishmahig (Bahrain), Kuwait, and southern Khvarvaran (Iraq). Persian Gulf trade would have required the development of maritime trade.

Nimruz
Nimruz is the Afghani province that borders the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan. Its present day capital is Zaranj. However, a city named Nimruz was the capital of Zal and his progeny.

The name Nimruz, which means mid-day, is thought by some to reflect a belief that the prime meridian of the then known world (stretching from Europe and Africa in the west to Japan in the east) ran through Nimruz-Sistan. One tradition has Zarathushtra first locating the meridian and then building on observatory close to the present city of Zabul.

The Stalwarts from Amongst the Pahlavans
Thraetaona/Thrita (Feridoon)
Thraetaona (who the Bundahishn and the poet Ferdowsi called Feridoon) rescued and liberated Iran (Aryana) from the clutches of the evil demon-king Azi Dahak (Zahhak in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh), from whose shoulders grew two snakes making him look like a three-headed, six-eyed snake-dragon. The Afdih va Sahikih-i Sagastan (Wonders of the Land of Sagastan) notes that Iraj, the son of Feridoon, took refuge in Sistan (likely when his brothers launched an internecine war to kill him and seize the Iranian throne).

Keresaspa (Garshasp)
Garshasp can be thought of as the Hercules of the Aryans - a smiter of fiends, giants and monsters who would otherwise destroy the world. The name Garshasp evolved from the Avestan Keresaspa.

Saam (Sam)
Sam was a champion and defender of the Iranian/Aryan throne. A king in his own right, Sam's kingdom together with the kingdoms of other Aryan kings, formed the confederation of Aryana under the king-of-kings. During Saam's time, Feridoon followed by his grandson Minoochehr were the king-of-kings of Aryana. According to the Middle Persian text the Greater Bundahishn at 36.7, "When the rule of the millennium came to Sagittarius (see our page on zodiacal dating* and the note on millennia at the bottom of the page), Feridoon (reigned) for five hundred years (these are legendary periods of time). In these five hundred years of Feridoon, Airij (Iraj, Feridoon's son to whom Feridoon delegated vice-regal authority over central Iran/Aryana) governed for twelve years, (and was succeeded by his son, Manushchihr (Minuchehr) who governed for a hundred and twenty years. During this reign of Manushchihr (Minuchehr), when he (retreated to) Mount Patashkhvar (the Alburz Mountains south of the Caspian Sea), Frasiyav (Afrasiab the Turanian) reigned (over Iran) twelve years. Then, Uzob son of Tuhmasp reigned for five years, and (the Kayanian) Kay Kobad reigned for fifteen years. Saam ruled his kingdom (of Sistan) during the reigns of Uzob, Kobad, and Manushchihr (Minuchehr)." The Shahnameh has Saam assisting Feridoon in the last years of the latter's life. (*The page on zodiacal dating is part of zoroastrianastrology.blogspot.ca.)

Zal, Rustam & Sohrab
It is with Saam's son Zal (pronounced Zaal), that the exploits of the pahlavans pick up in the poet Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. The stories involving Zal's son Rustam occupy the longest part of the Shahnameh. The exploits end tragically when Rustam unknowingly kills his son Sohrab. The reader will find a synopsis of these stories in our page: The Heroes - Their Story in Brief.

The Pahlavan's Creed
The creed of the Pahlavans is first to be pure, truthful, unpretentious, good tempered and only then strong in body. Pahlavans seek to develop mind, body and spirit. They engage in learning as well as physical strength. The pursuit of both must however be preceded by modesty. "Learn modesty if you desire knowledge," goes the saying, "for a highland cannot be irrigated by a river" [from the Kanz ol-Haghayegh (Treasure of the Truths) by Pahlavan Khvarazmi].

Today, wrestlers in Iran, Pakistan and northern India are called pehlvans. They train with maces and clubs in Mithraeum-like (i.e. windowless Mithra temples) gymnasiums called zurkhanes (houses of strength). During their meditative exercises that have spiritual overtones, a musician plays a drum while reciting Shahnameh verses that recount the heroic deeds of Rustam and other champions of Iran. The epic itself sits in a place of special reverence within the zurkhane.

Pahlavans & Sakastan pages:
» 1. Introduction
» 2. Timur's Account
» 3. Lineage & Nation
» 4. Thraetaona & Thrita. Keresaspa & Urvakhshaya. Varena, Rangha & Patashkhvargar
» 5. Trita, Visvarupa & Ahi in the Vedas
» 6. Battles with Dragon-Snakes
» 7. Garshasp, Saam & Zal in the Shahnameh
» 8. End Times. The Renovation of the World
» 9. Religion in Sakastan

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Sunday, February 17, 2013

Pahlavans & Sakastan 9. Religion

Monday, February 11, 2013

Pahlavans & Sakastan 8. End Times. Role of the Pahlavans at the Renovation of the World

Pahlavans & Sakastan 7. Garshasp, Saam & Zal in the Shahnameh

Pahlavans & Sakastan 6. Battles with Dragon-Snakes

Pahlavans & Sakastan 2. Timur's Account

Pahlavans & Sakastan 3. Lineage & Nation

Pahlavans & Sakastan 1. Introduction

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