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Mehrab

The king of Kabul and father of Rudabeh, whose lineage traced back to the defeated tyrant Zahhak, a complicating factor in his daughter's courtship with Zal.

Accounts of this vary across texts and traditions. This entry primarily follows Zoroastrian and Persian epic tradition, with other tellings (Avesta (Zoroastrian scripture), Shahnameh (Ferdowsi's epic, c. 1010 CE), Pahlavi (Middle Persian) texts such as the Bundahishn) noted where relevant.

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Relationships

Spouse
Sindokht
Children
Rudabeh

Introduction

Mehrab is the king of Kabul, father of Rudabeh, whose own lineage traced back to the ancient tyrant Zahhak, a fact that complicated his daughter's courtship with Zal, hero of the rival, Iran-aligned house of Sistan.

Family

A complicated lineage

Mehrab's descent from Zahhak's line made his family a source of unease for Zal's father Sam, worried about the implications of such an alliance, even generations after Zahhak's own overthrow; this tension forms part of the obstacle the young lovers Zal and Rudabeh must overcome.

Father of Rudabeh

Mehrab's initial fear and resistance to the courtship, driven by concern over how King Manuchehr and the Iranian court might react to his daughter's involvement with the house of Sistan, is eventually eased through his wife Sindokht's careful diplomacy, allowing the marriage between Rudabeh and Zal to proceed.

Sources

  1. Shahnameh (primary text)

This entry is independently written for myVamsam using the sources listed above. Where traditions differ, this entry identifies the relevant tradition rather than presenting one account as universally established fact.