Folio 10r: The poet Firdausi reciting from his work before the Ghaznavid sultan Mahmud

MehranDHN

The poet Firdausi reciting from his work before the Ghaznavid sultan Mahmud. Folio from the 'Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp'. Tabriz, c. 1525. Firdausi's presence at the court of Sultan Mahmud and his commission to write the Sbahnama chagrin his jealous rivals, who maintain that only the stories and 71 not Firdausi's poetry are worthy of royal favor. A literary debate ensues in which Firdausi, in the presence of the sultan, composes new verses on the spot that enliven an otherwise dull episode, a feat applauded by Sultan Mahmud.