Rostam o Esfandiyār: Qesseh-hā-ye Shāhnāmeh 12 Persian 2025

Esfandiyār was a young and remarkably brave hero. He dreamed of becoming the king of Iran, but his father, Goshtāsp, kept postponing his promise. Until one day, Goshtāsp said:

“If you want the crown, you must capture Rostam.”

Esfandiyār set out with his army toward Zabul to confront Rostam. Rostam, the wise and experienced champion, tried to warn him:

“Your father has sent you on a dangerous path. Do not fight me.”

But Esfandiyār, who never disobeyed his father, refused to listen.

The battle between the two heroes began. No matter how hard Rostam tried, he could not harm Esfandiyār, for Esfandiyār’s body was invulnerable. Rostam then sought help from the Simurgh, who revealed that only an arrow made from the wood of a tamarisk tree could wound him.

The next day the battle resumed. With great reluctance, Rostam released the tamarisk arrow, and it struck Esfandiyār in the eye. The young hero fell to the ground and died.

Thus ended one of the most tragic stories of the Shāhnāmeh—a tale showing that even great heroes can be caught in the snare of fate.

This story has been adapted into a modern illustrated edition for children by Barf Publishing, with artwork by Mohammadali Keshavarz and retellings by Māzyār Baghlāni and Eilnāz Ebrāhimi.