Folio 367v: The Night Battle of Kay Khusrau and Afrasiyab

Mehran DHN

At nightfall, after a day-long battle against Afrasiyab and his army, Kai Khusrau warned his Iranian troops that Afrasiyab would certainly try a surprise night attack. The Iranians dug a ditch across the Turanian route, doused their lights, and maintained silence. Meanwhile, Afrasiyab ordered the attack on the Iranians. When the Turanian army neared the Iranian camp, they let out war cries and charged, but many fell in the trench, and the rest fled. Then Rustam went forward from one side, Giv, Tus, and Gudarz from the other, and massacred the Turanian army. Afrasiyab abandoned his troops and fled. This was his last battle against the Iranians. Bashdan Qara, who illustrated this scene, was one of the journeyman artists of the Shahnama, tasked most often with painting battle scenes.