🌟 The First King of the World

🏰 The Rise of Keyumars

In the world, the first person to establish the ways of kingship and the throne was a man named Keyumars.

He wore a robe made of leopard skin, and the people under his rule were joyful and faithful in worshiping the One God.

👑 Siyamak, the Heir

Keyumars had a son named Siyamak, wise, handsome, and destined to succeed his father.

But nearby, a spiteful demon harbored hatred and envy, longing to claim the throne for himself.

He constantly spoke to the people, and soon a battle seemed inevitable.

The demon had a son, large and fierce, with a wolf-like face, inheriting his father’s evil nature.

⚔️ The Warning from the Angel

During these days, Soroush, the angel messenger, appeared before Keyumars:

“A wicked demon exists, and he will soon try to seize your crown.”

Siyamak asked his father:

“Allow me to raise an army and face the demon.”

He went to battle but was defeated.

The demon’s son attacked Siyamak and tore his heart from his body.

Keyumars was stricken with grief, and the people mourned for a full year.

🕊️ Hushang’s Revenge

Siyamak had left behind a son named Hushang.

He went to his grandfather Keyumars and said:

“I will raise an army and avenge my father’s death.”

Hushang gathered a mighty army of humans, jinn, fairies, and mythical creatures.

He struck a decisive blow to the demon and severed his head.

🌟 The Throne of Hushang

Keyumars ruled for thirty years, during which his people were joyful and content.

Afterward, Hushang ascended the throne:

“I am the ruler of seven kingdoms, and by the grace of God, I am ready to spread justice and generosity.”

The manuscript contains approximately 760 folios, including 258 illustrated pages depicting Iranian mythology and history. These illustrations were created by the finest royal painters and calligraphers in nastaʿlīq script in Tabriz.

The production of the Shahnameh Tahmaspi was ordered by Shah Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid dynasty, around 928 AH, two years before his death, and took nearly two decades to complete.

After completion, the manuscript was gifted to Sultan Selim II and remained in the Ottoman court until the 19th century. From 1903 to 1959, the Rothschild family owned it. In 1959, Arthur Houghton purchased the manuscript. To settle a tax debt, he donated 78 folios to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the remaining folios were sold separately to various collections.

118 folios that remained in Houghton’s collection until his death were later exchanged for Willem de Kooning’s painting Woman III and are now housed in the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art.

This manuscript is considered one of the most expensive artistic works in the world, with a single illustrated folio selling for $13.8 million in 2019.