Biography of Ferdousí
Hakim-Abu-Al Qasim Ferdowsi is a renowned Persian poet and author of the historical poetry book “Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi”. He was probably born in 935 CE (date of birth not confirmed) in REGBAN village, area near Tus, Tahiran, and died in 1040. King Taimuri Bayansfar Mirza writes that Ferdowsi was born in Shahdab village, area near Tus, Tahiran, Iran. However, it is a fact that he was born in Tahiran. His pin-name was Ferdowsi and his last name was Abu Al Qasim. Ferdowsi’s father was a farmer by profession. Ferdowsi’s wife was probably literate and came from a farming family (DEHQAN). She was a son and a daughter. His son died at the age of 37. Ferdowsi mourned his son in a poem, which he inserted into Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi. He was the most popular poet of the Ghaznavd era, playing a vital role in the survival of Iranian history and literature.
Motives behind Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi
Some of Shahnameh’s verses reveal that Ferdowsi was a farmer by profession in his youth. He lived happily with his family in a garden of Tus (place). Ferdowsi completed the renowned book “Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi” in twenty-five years. It was a complete book of Persian history and literature. Ferdowsi’s physical and financial condition worsens until the completion of the book. He thought that the reward of “Shahnameh” will be used to make dowry for his daughter.
Completion of Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi
The Persian poet Nizami Orozi says that Ferdowsi wrote Shahnameh himself. Nizami further narrates that Ferdowsi completed the book in twenty-five years. Ferdowsi had reached old age when he completed his book. Some of his friends suggested presenting Shahnameh to Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi as a reward. Ferdowsi presented his book at the court of Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi. Sultan appreciated the book and announced a reward of sixty thousand gold coins for Ferdowsi. The other court poets (DARBAR) get jealous and start complaining about Ferdowsi. Sultan got angry and changed the reward amount to silver coins.
Ferdowsi’s reaction on the reward
Nizami Orozi writes that Sultan Mahmood’s men delivered the amount to Ferdowsi. When Ferdowsi found out that Sultan Mahmood had changed the amount of the reward from sixty thousand gold coins to silver coins. He got angry and refused to accept the amount. At the time, he was in a soda shop bathroom. Ferdowsi was dejected and gave the full amount of the reward to the toilet attendant and left the soda shop.
Probable Reasons Behind Less Reward
Historians narrated the following reasons behind Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi’s lesser reward:
A. Ferdowsi criticized the zealous poet colleagues at the court of Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi in his poetry. As a result, zealous poets commented on his poetry and complained about Ferdowsi.
b. Some historians write the sectarian differences between Sultan Mahmood and Ferdowsi because Sultan follows Sunni sect while Ferdowsi follows Shia sect. However, it is not a valid reason because Hindu, Christian and Jewish poets were also present at the court.
against Ferdowsi praised the royal families and castes in Shahnameh, while Sultan belongs to a Turkish family, so he took no interest in poetry.
d. Ferdowsi narrated classical Persian history and classical Iranian kings in a proper manner in Shahnameh.
my. Ferdowsi has no supporter at Sultan Mahmood’s court.
Anyway, all the reasons mentioned above are not enough to justify a lesser reward from Sultan Mahmood for Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi. It’s a big question mark over Sultan Mahmood’s justice forever.
Rewards Compensation
Once, Sultan Mahmood was returning from an adventure. He saw a great palace of a Hindu Rajah on the way. Sultan ordered to call the Raja to the court to explain the great palace to him. Hassan Mohmand, the Sultan’s minister, responded matter-of-factly with a stanza from a Ferdowsi poem. Sultan Mahmood was glad to hear the answer and asked for the author of the poem. Hassan Mohmand replied that the author of this poem was the unfortunate Ferdowsi, who wrote Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi in twenty-five years. Sultan Mahmood feels guilty and ordered Hassan to remind me about reaching Ghazni.
Hassan remembered the matter of rewarding Sultan Mahmood upon his arrival in Ghazni. Sultan announced sixty thousand gold coins for Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi and ordered them to be given to Ferdowsi at his house. The representative took sixty thousand gold coins and went to Ferdowsi’s house. Unfortunately, when the representative arrived at Ferdowsi’s house, he was met by Ferdowsi’s funeral procession. Finally, the representative decided to give the amount to his daughter, but his daughter also refused to receive it.
Ferdowsi Patriotism
Ferdowsi was a patriotic poet, who loves his country very much. He explained Iran with good words in Shahnameh-e-Ferdowsi. He was willing to sacrifice everything for Iran. While other fellow poets of Ferdowsi praised Sultan Mahmood in his poetry. Ferdowsi always paid tribute to Iran in his poetry. Ferdowsi was willing to sacrifice even Gaznavi’s court, Hindustan and his work with Sultan Mahmood in Iran. He explained the defeats of the Iranians in his poetry with great grievance and sadness, which shows his greatest love and patriotism for Iran and the Iranians.