New Naqqaliشاهنامه
Reference

Kings and Events of the Shahnameh

The Shahnameh runs from the first king of the world to the fall of the Sasanian empire. Its chronology moves through three great ages, mythic, heroic and historical, and follows the poem’s own order, not modern dating: the early kings belong to legendary time, the later ones increasingly to the historical record.

The kings are set down the left of the line, and what happened in each reign down the right. References lead into the poem; a dashed rule marks where each volume begins: Volume One runs from A0 to B14.28, Volume Two from C1 to D5.39, and Volume Three from D5.40 to E11. Every king and his family are also in the Genealogies.

The Mythic AgeThe Pishdadian kings · Volume One

Kioumars A1First king of the world
  • Siamak is killed by the Black Div A1.2
  • Hushang and Kioumars avenge him A1.3
Hushang A2Lawgiver and civilizer
  • Teaches the working of iron and the watering of fields A2.1
  • Strikes fire from stone and founds the feast of Sadeh A2.2
Tahmuras A3Binder of the divs
  • The captive divs teach him to write A3.1
Jamshid A4The golden age, lost through pride
  • Crafts, orders of society, Nowruz A4.1
  • He claims to be divine, and his farr departs A4.4
Zahhak A4–A5The usurper, ruled by Ahriman
Fereydoon A5–A6Restorer of justice
  • Binds Zahhak in Mount Damavand A5.9
  • Divides the world among Salm, Tur and Iraj A6.7
  • Iraj is murdered by his brothers; the feud of Iran and Turan begins A6.12
Manuchehr A6–A9Avenger of Iraj
  • Avenges Iraj on Salm and Tur A6
  • Zal is born white-haired, abandoned, and raised by the Simorgh A7.2
  • Zal and Rudabeh A8
  • Birth of Rostam A9.1
Nohzar B1A weak reign
  • Afrasiab of Turan invades; Nohzar is taken and killed B1
Zav B1.14Chosen king after Nohzar
  • Famine, and a truce with Turan B1.14
Garshasp B2Last of the Pishdadian line
  • Afrasiab invades again; Rostam brings Kay Qobad from Alborz B2.4

The Heroic AgeThe Kayanian kings · Volumes One and Two

Kay Qobad B3First of the Kayanians, raised by Rostam
  • Rostam’s first battle against Afrasiab B3
Kay Kavus B4–B10Ambitious and rash
Kay Khosrow B10–C4The ideal king
  • Forood and the snowstorm campaign B12
  • Mount Hamavan and Kamus B13
  • The great battle with the Khan of Chin B14
  • Volume Two begins at C1
  • Rostam slays Akvan the Div C1
  • Bijan and Manijeh C2
  • The battle of the Twelve Rukhs C3
  • The death of Afrasiab C4.44
  • Khosrow gives up the throne and vanishes in the snow C4.62
Lohrasp C5
  • Goshtasb goes to Rum and weds Katayun C5.4–C5.8
Goshtasb C5–C9Patron of Zardosht
Bahman C9–D1Son of Esfandiyar
  • Vengeance on the house of Rostam in Zabul D1.1–D1.4
Homahyi D1–D2A queen on the throne
  • Her son Darab is set adrift in a box upon the river D2.1
Darab D2–D3
  • Founds the city of Darabgird D3.1
Dara D4Last of the Kayanians
  • Defeated by Iskandar, and slain by his own chiefs D4.4–D4.8

Between Myth and HistoryIskandar and the Ashkanians · Volumes Two and Three

Iskandar D4–D5Alexander the Great: conqueror and seeker
The Ashkanians D6The Parthian kings
  • Ferdowsi names them in a brief list, saying little of their record survived D6

The Historical AgeThe Sasanian kings · Volume Three

Ardeshir Babakan D7Founder of the Sasanian line
Shapur Zul-Aktaf D7–D8And the early Sasanian reigns
  • Shapur, Hormizd, the three Bahrams and Narsi before him; Ardeshir, Shapur and Bahram after D7–D8
Yazdegard I D9A harsh king
  • His son Bahram is raised among the Arabs D9
Bahram Goor D9–D10The hunter-king
Yazdegard II to Pirooz D11Short reigns
  • Pirooz falls in war against Khoshnavaz D11
Balawsh and Qobad D11–D12
  • Mazdak’s revolution D12
Anooshirvan D13–E4The model of the just king
  • Bozorgmehr, his counselor D13–E3
  • Chess comes from India; the Kalila and Dimna E2
  • The king and the shoemaker E4.2
Hormizd E5Son of Anooshirvan
Khosrow Parviz E6–E7Splendor, then ruin
Shiruyeh E8
  • Seizes the throne; the death of Khosrow Parviz E8
The years of chaos E9A run of brief reigns
    Yazdegard III E10The last Sasanian king
    • The poet completes the Shahnameh E11