Duel Between Rostam and Sohrāb. King-Pahlavan Relations in a Historical and Cultural Perspective

Duels are one of the main elements of Shāhnāma by Abu'l-Qāsem Ferdowsī. Not only do they serve as exciting entertainment, they also reveal many intriguing aspects of the culture of pre-Islamic Iran. This paper analyzes one of the most important one-on-one fights in The Persian Book of King, i.e. the duel between Rostam and Sohrāb. However, I do not focus on the tragedy stemming from Rostam's unintentional filicide but on the relationship between the king and the pahlavan. The duel brilliantly demonstrates the relationship of the ruler with the subject and the subject with the ruler in pre-Islamic Iran, providing a basis for reflection on the topic.