''Amir Arsalan-e Namdar'' ( fa, امیر ارسلان نامدار) is a popular
Persian epic, which was told to
Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar
Naser al-Din Shah Qajar ( fa, ناصرالدینشاه قاجار; 16 July 1831 – 1 May 1896) was the fourth Shah of Qajar Iran from 5 September 1848 to 1 May 1896 when he was assassinated. He was the son of Mohammad Shah Qajar and Malek ...
, the
Qajar
Qajar Iran (), also referred to as Qajar Persia, the Qajar Empire, '. Sublime State of Persia, officially the Sublime State of Iran ( fa, دولت علیّه ایران ') and also known then as the Guarded Domains of Iran ( fa, ممالک م ...
Shah
Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
of
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
in the 19th century (though the
Persian legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...
itself is much older), by a storyteller named ''Mohammad Ali
Naqib ol-Mamalek'' ( fa, میرزا محمدعلی نقیبالممالک). Mohammad never transcribed the poem himself, but the daughter of the Shah—who also loved the story—eventually transcribed it and preserved it for posterity.
Plot
The epic narrates the adventures of its protagonist, Arsalan. The story begins with the ''Banu (lady) of
Rûm, Roum'' (the Arabian-Parsi name for Eastern ''Roman'' Empire or also known as
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
). Roum was conquered by European invaders, and its pregnant Banu forced to flee for her life. She is wedded to an
Egyptian merchant and gives birth to her child, Arsalan. The merchant claims the child as his own. Eventually, of course, Arsalan learns of his royal origin and decides to reclaim his throne.
Adaptations
This story was adapted as a screen play by Shapor Yasami in 1954, with actor Iloosh Khooshabeh portraying Arsalan. The story was also adapted into a musical film in 1965 with a script written by
Esmail Koushan Esmail Koushan ''or Kooshan'' ( fa, اسماعیل کوشان) (1917–1981) was an Iranian film director who was one of the pioneering figures of Persian language, Persian cinema. He has been called "the father of the Iranian film industry" by Geor ...
and
Mohammad Ali Fardin
Mohammad-Ali Fardin ( fa, محمدعلی فردین, 4 February 1931 – 6 April 2000) was a prominent Iranian actor, film director and freestyle wrestler.
Biography Early life
Fardin was born and raised in a poor area in southern Tehran. He ...
playing the role of Arsalan, to much success.
is a Japanese fantasy novel series written by
Yoshiki Tanaka
is a Japanese novelist.
Early life and education
He was born in Hondo, Kumamoto Prefecture and took his doctorate degree in Japanese Language and Literature in the Graduate School of Gakushūin University in Tokyo.
Work
His major works in ...
loosely based on this epic. It was first published in 1986 and ended in 2017 with sixteen novels and one side-story in the official guidebook ''Arslan Senki Dokuhon''.
''
Arslaan'', an Indian
fantasy television series
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and ...
produced by
Sagar Arts
Sagar Pictures Entertainment is an Indian film and television production company based in Mumbai, India. It was founded by Ramanand Sagar and is a part of the Sagar Group of companies owned by the Sagar family.
Sagar Pictures is also a dubbing ...
based on the epic, aired on
Sony TV Sony Television, Sony TV, or Sony HD may refer to any of the following television-related products from Japanese conglomerate Sony:
* Television sets designed and manufactured by Sony Corporation in Japan
** Trinitron, television hardware brand (19 ...
in 2008 and starred
Neil Bhatt
Neil Bhatt is an Indian television actor known for portraying Ranveer Singh Vaghela in ''Roop - Mard Ka Naya Swaroop'' and DCP Virat Chavan in '' Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin''.
Personal life
Bhatt studied law but acting and dance have alway ...
in the titular role of Arsalan.
See also
*
Aslan (disambiguation)
Aslan is the fictional lion in C. S. Lewis's ''Chronicles of Narnia''.
Aslan or Arsalan (both spellings of a Turkic word meaning "lion") may also refer to:
People Given name Arsalan
* Arsalan Anwar (born 1986), Pakistani cricketer
* Ar ...
*
Shamshir-e Zomorrodnegar
*
Fulad-zereh
*
Cup of Jamshid
The Cup of Jamshid ( fa, جام جم, ''jām-e Jam'') is a cup of divination, which in Persian mythology was long possessed by the rulers of ancient Greater Iran. Its name is associated with Jamshid (''Jam'' in New Persian), a mythological figure ...
References
External links
Encyclopedia Iranica, Amir ArsalanOnline PDF text of Amir Arsalan
Persian mythology
Persian literature
Iranian folklore
{{MEast-myth-stub