Shahʹnāmah

Shahʹnāmah presents a historical poem by ʻAbd al-Qādir Tūnī, a poet of the eleventh Hijri century, in an edition prepared by Sharārah Tājmīr Riyāḥī. Its narrative encompasses conflicts around Baghdad, fighting with Ottoman forces and the recovery of Yerevan under Shah Ṣafī, followed by the campaign against Kandahar under Shah ʻAbbās II. Letters between commanders, military preparations, sieges and battles place royal power within the conventions of Persian narrative verse. The introductory study considers the tradition of victory writing, the identity and religious affiliation of the poet, the date of composition, surviving manuscripts and the principles used to establish the text. Known in catalogues as Fatḥʹnāmah-i Qandahār, the poem receives a broader title in recognition of its wider historical scope and the poet’s own wording. Notes and references accompany the edition, supporting study of its language, textual transmission and value as a literary account of Safavid warfare.