SHAH-NAMEH

(1010; Book of Kings), celebrated work of the Persian epic poet Ferdowsi, in which the Persian national epic found its final and enduring form. Written for Sultan Mahmud of Ghazna, the Shah-nameh is a poem of nearly 60,000 verses, mainly based on the Khvatay-namak, a history of the kings of Persia in Pahlavi (Middle Persian) from mythical times down to the 7th century. Ferdowsi versified and updated the story to the downfall of the Sasanid empire (mid-7th century), and, for nearly 1,000 years, it has remained one of the most popular works in the Persian-speaking world.