Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.
Before we continue our tale and discover what fate has in store for Sajur and his three sons, it is time for our chit-chat.
Last night, we learned that Bahram Gur was a real historical figure from Persian history whose name Taher Abu Fasha borrowed for the story.
Tonight, we discover that the inspiration behind Azdashir, the brother of King Sajur, was also a real man — a real Ardashir from Iranian history, though with a slightly different spelling.
Azdeshir is the Arabic rendering of the Old Persian name Ardashir or Ardeshir
King Ardashir — and here I mean Ardashir I — was in fact the founder of the Sasanian Empire, the last empire of ancient Iran. Ardashir called himself shahanshah (King of Kings) and began conquering the lands he referred to as Eranshahr, the realm of the Iranians.
According to Shahnameh, written by Ferdowsi, Ardashir was born from the marriage of Sasan — said to be a descendant of Darius III — and the daughter of Papak, a local governor in Pars. This account also appears in Al-Tabari’s History of the Prophets and Kings.
There were three kings named Ardashir in the Sasanian Empire: Ardashir I, Ardashir II, and Ardashir III.
In modern times, perhaps the most famous bearer of the name was Ardeshir Zahedi, the prominent Iranian politician and diplomat who served as Iran’s foreign minister from 1966 to 1971 and as ambassador to both the United States and the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s.
He was married for seven years to Princess Shahnaz Pahlavi, the Egyptian-Iranian daughter of the Shah of Iran.
Today, many Iranians remember Ardeshir Zahedi, especially for his stance in later years: although he opposed the Islamic Revolutionary regime in Tehran, he firmly rejected foreign military intervention in Iran.
Now, without further delay, I present the second episode of our story—The Tale of Sajur and his sons, or the 196th night of One Thousand and One Nights, as broadcast by the Egyptian State Radio.
Ep.2 “A Dilemma”
And when it was the One Hundred and Ninety-Sixth Night, and the night that followed, King Shahryar took his place as on the previous evening.
Shahrazad came to him at the appointed hour, greeted him with the fairest salutations, and resumed her tale.
Shahrazad: It has reached me, O fortunate king, wise in judgment and sound in counsel, that when Prince Azdeshir slew King Bahram Gur, he fell from his steed and was trampled beneath the hooves of his own horsemen. And as great as was King Sajur’s joy at the destruction of his enemy, so too was his grief for his brother Azdeshir.
Days passed, and years revolved. The young grew tall, the elders bent with age, time advanced, and the youths came into their prime, until they stood as young men in the freshness of their strength. The princess cast aside her childhood, and her womanhood blossomed. And the three princes were seized with love for her, each desiring her for himself alone.
Whispers rose and words spread among the court. When the matter reached King Sajur, he summoned his vizier.
“Firuz, Nairuz, and Ma‘zuz,” said the king, “all love Amira. She is one, and they are three. Whom shall I choose? And how shall I deny the others without planting discord in their hearts?”
The vizier answered, “One may marry her.”
“The other two will not consent.”
“Cast lots.”
“They will not accept it.”
“Command them.”
“I may command their obedience,” said the king, “but I cannot command their hearts. Have we not heard of kingdoms ruined by rivalry among princes?”
The vizier bowed his head and said, “Then speak to them, each alone. If two relinquish their claim willingly, harmony may yet be preserved.”
The king approved the counsel.
Firuz was summoned.
When the king spoke of marrying Amira to one of his brothers, Firuz’s countenance changed.
“Never,” he said. “I love her. Without her I cannot live. Do not drive me to what would displease you.”
The king dismissed him gently, saying, “Leave the matter to me.”
Nairuz was called.
When he learned that his elder brother might wed Amira, he protested:
“If he is elder, let him show nobility and yield her to us. I too love her. Without her I cannot endure.”
The king again dismissed him in thought.
When both princes had departed, the vizier said, “None of them will yield.”
The king replied, “He who listens with his heart hears nothing with his ears.”
Then King Sajur summoned the princess Amira.
“My daughter,” he said, “which of your cousins do you choose?”
She answered with wisdom beyond her years:
“I cannot prefer one and wound two. I will not buy one at the price of the others’ hearts. You are my father and my lord. The matter rests with you.”
The king regarded her closely and said, “You have answered well.”
The three princes were brought before him.
“You are my sons,” said the king, “and Amira is as my daughter. I will judge between you.
“To each of you I shall give a thousand dinars, a horse, and a servant. You shall travel through distant lands. Whichever of you returns with the most wondrous gift shall win the hand of the princess.
“But hear this condition: if she is granted to one, no discord shall arise among you. Swear it.”
And they swore an oath.
The king ordered the dinars distributed, and the princes departed to roam the horizons in search of marvels worthy of a bride.
They journeyed across deserts and plains until they came to a khan, where they lodged three days before parting company, each setting forth upon his own road.
At this point, O King—
And before her tale was complete, the dawn overtook Shahrazad, and she fell silent until another night.
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