Saghi Gazerani received her doctorate in History from Ohio State University in 2007, and has been since researching and publishing on various aspects of medieval Persian literary and historical genres.

• Table of ContentTitle pageTable of ContentAcknowledgementsTransliterationList of FiguresList of AbbreviationsINTRODUCTION1. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT1.2. THE SCYTHIO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM OF SISTAN1.2 THE RULING FAMILY IN SISTAN IN ANCIENT TIMES1.3 THE OTHER PARTHIAN FAMILY2. THE APPROPRIATION OF AN AVESTAN HERO AND THE BIRTH OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM2.1 GARSHĀSP’S GENEALOGY2.2 GARSHĀSP AND THE FOUNDING OF SISTAN2.3 THE REPERTOIRE OF HEROIC MOTIFS2.4 ANOTHER VERSION OF THE STORY/HISTORY2.5 FOOTPRINTS OF A RELIGIOUS CONFLICT3. THE ZENITH OF SUREN POWER3.1 ROSTAM’S EARLY HEROIC CAREER3.1.1 BAB-RE BAYĀN3.1.2 KOK-E KUHZĀD3.2.2. THE HAFT-KHĀN3.2 HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS3.2.1 A TIME OF ALLIANCE3.2.2 THE SPECIAL STATUS OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM3.2.3 THE BEGINNING OF THE END : THE ADVANT OF LOHRĀSP4. THE DOWNTRODDEN SISTANI HEROES4.1 BORZU4.2 JAHĀNGIR4.3 SHAHRIYĀR5. THE POLEMICS OF MAKING HEROES AND ANTI-HEROES5.1 FARĀMARZ IN QANNUJ5.2 TRANSFORMATION OF HEROIC IMAGERY5.3 FARĀMARZ AND BAHMAN: THE FINAL SHOW DOWN5.4 BAHMAN THE ANTI-HERO PAR EXCELLENCEEPILOGUEAPPENDIX A: THE SISTANI CYCLE OF EPICS: STORIES AND THEIR MANUSCRIPTSROSTAM STORIES NOT INCLUDED IN THE SHĀHNĀMEH:GARSHĀSPNĀMEHBAHMANNĀMEHFARĀMARZNĀMEHBĀNU-GOSHASPNĀMEHBORZUNĀMEHSHAHRIYĀRNĀMEHJAHĀNGIRNĀMEHAPPENDIX B : NARRATIONS OF BAHMAN’S REGINBIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX

Saghi Gazerani received her doctorate in History from Ohio State University in 2007, and has been since researching and publishing on various aspects of medieval Persian literary and historical genres.

• Table of ContentTitle pageTable of ContentAcknowledgementsTransliterationList of FiguresList of AbbreviationsINTRODUCTION1. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT1.2. THE SCYTHIO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM OF SISTAN1.2 THE RULING FAMILY IN SISTAN IN ANCIENT TIMES1.3 THE OTHER PARTHIAN FAMILY2. THE APPROPRIATION OF AN AVESTAN HERO AND THE BIRTH OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM2.1 GARSHĀSP’S GENEALOGY2.2 GARSHĀSP AND THE FOUNDING OF SISTAN2.3 THE REPERTOIRE OF HEROIC MOTIFS2.4 ANOTHER VERSION OF THE STORY/HISTORY2.5 FOOTPRINTS OF A RELIGIOUS CONFLICT3. THE ZENITH OF SUREN POWER3.1 ROSTAM’S EARLY HEROIC CAREER3.1.1 BAB-RE BAYĀN3.1.2 KOK-E KUHZĀD3.2.2. THE HAFT-KHĀN3.2 HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS3.2.1 A TIME OF ALLIANCE3.2.2 THE SPECIAL STATUS OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM3.2.3 THE BEGINNING OF THE END : THE ADVANT OF LOHRĀSP4. THE DOWNTRODDEN SISTANI HEROES4.1 BORZU4.2 JAHĀNGIR4.3 SHAHRIYĀR5. THE POLEMICS OF MAKING HEROES AND ANTI-HEROES5.1 FARĀMARZ IN QANNUJ5.2 TRANSFORMATION OF HEROIC IMAGERY5.3 FARĀMARZ AND BAHMAN: THE FINAL SHOW DOWN5.4 BAHMAN THE ANTI-HERO PAR EXCELLENCEEPILOGUEAPPENDIX A: THE SISTANI CYCLE OF EPICS: STORIES AND THEIR MANUSCRIPTSROSTAM STORIES NOT INCLUDED IN THE SHĀHNĀMEH:GARSHĀSPNĀMEHBAHMANNĀMEHFARĀMARZNĀMEHBĀNU-GOSHASPNĀMEHBORZUNĀMEHSHAHRIYĀRNĀMEHJAHĀNGIRNĀMEHAPPENDIX B : NARRATIONS OF BAHMAN’S REGINBIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX

Saghi Gazerani received her doctorate in History from Ohio State University in 2007, and has been since researching and publishing on various aspects of medieval Persian literary and historical genres.

• Table of ContentTitle pageTable of ContentAcknowledgementsTransliterationList of FiguresList of AbbreviationsINTRODUCTION1. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT1.2. THE SCYTHIO-PARTHIAN KINGDOM OF SISTAN1.2 THE RULING FAMILY IN SISTAN IN ANCIENT TIMES1.3 THE OTHER PARTHIAN FAMILY2. THE APPROPRIATION OF AN AVESTAN HERO AND THE BIRTH OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM2.1 GARSHĀSP’S GENEALOGY2.2 GARSHĀSP AND THE FOUNDING OF SISTAN2.3 THE REPERTOIRE OF HEROIC MOTIFS2.4 ANOTHER VERSION OF THE STORY/HISTORY2.5 FOOTPRINTS OF A RELIGIOUS CONFLICT3. THE ZENITH OF SUREN POWER3.1 ROSTAM’S EARLY HEROIC CAREER3.1.1 BAB-RE BAYĀN3.1.2 KOK-E KUHZĀD3.2.2. THE HAFT-KHĀN3.2 HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS3.2.1 A TIME OF ALLIANCE3.2.2 THE SPECIAL STATUS OF THE HOUSE OF ROSTAM3.2.3 THE BEGINNING OF THE END : THE ADVANT OF LOHRĀSP4. THE DOWNTRODDEN SISTANI HEROES4.1 BORZU4.2 JAHĀNGIR4.3 SHAHRIYĀR5. THE POLEMICS OF MAKING HEROES AND ANTI-HEROES5.1 FARĀMARZ IN QANNUJ5.2 TRANSFORMATION OF HEROIC IMAGERY5.3 FARĀMARZ AND BAHMAN: THE FINAL SHOW DOWN5.4 BAHMAN THE ANTI-HERO PAR EXCELLENCEEPILOGUEAPPENDIX A: THE SISTANI CYCLE OF EPICS: STORIES AND THEIR MANUSCRIPTSROSTAM STORIES NOT INCLUDED IN THE SHĀHNĀMEH:GARSHĀSPNĀMEHBAHMANNĀMEHFARĀMARZNĀMEHBĀNU-GOSHASPNĀMEHBORZUNĀMEHSHAHRIYĀRNĀMEHJAHĀNGIRNĀMEHAPPENDIX B : NARRATIONS OF BAHMAN’S REGINBIBLIOGRAPHYINDEX