Abstract:

Shāhnāma is a collection of Persian verses written by Abu al-Qāsem Ferdowsī (d. 1020 [?]) in Iran during the Middle Ages, regarded as Iran's national epic. The Shāhnāma contains significant information on a variety of topics, including the history of war and weapons. Thus, our research thoroughly analyses the descriptions of the sword and dagger in this work. We study sword-related records, including those pertaining to swords made in India, Yemen, Kabul, and Anatolia, as well as the materials used in their manufacture, as well as poisoned swords and sheaths. Also disclosed are words that describe those who create and employ swords. Under the heading “dagger” there are references to both sharp daggers and records of daggers made in India, Kabul and Persia. To better understand the text, define terms linked to the history of war, and advance the field of medieval weaponry studies, apart from the Persian edition of Shāhnāma, this study used also visual material.

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