Faridun Strikes Zahhak, Folio from a Shahnama illustrates a dramatic episode from the Shahnama or Book of Kings, the celebrated Persian epic composed by the poet Ferdowsi around 977–1010 CE. The story recounts the legendary and historical past of Iran, combining heroic adventures, struggles for power and moral conflicts.
The painting depicts the hero Faridun confronting Zahhak, a tyrannical king. Faridun strikes Zahhak with an ox-headed mace, known as a gorz, a weapon associated with righteous power and heroic strength. According to the narrative, Faridun had entered Zahhak's palace and occupied it during the king's absence. When Zahhak returns and discovers Faridun with the women of his harem, he becomes enraged and attacks him. The women watch the confrontation in distress, while Zahhak's soldiers and Faridun's followers fight near the palace entrance.
The composition combines a dramatic human encounter with architectural details and elaborate manuscript decoration. The figures, palace setting and surrounding Persian text connect the illustration to the narrative tradition of illustrated epic manuscripts. The folio is also distinguished by its ornate gilded borders, which incorporate landscape imagery and scenes of animals fighting.
The work reflects the interaction between Persian literary traditions and Mughal artistic patronage in seventeenth-century India. According to LACMA, the marginal inscriptions attribute the painting to Bishandas and Inayd Inayat. The museum suggests that Inayat may have undertaken the design and overall execution, while Bishandas painted the figures. This collaborative attribution is significant for understanding artistic production in Mughal court workshops.
Faridun Strikes Zahhak illustrates a dramatic episode from Ferdowsi’s Shahnama, depicting Faridun confronting the tyrant Zahhak with an ox-headed mace. The dynamic composition, elaborate architecture and gilded borders combine narrative intensity with decorative richness. Attributed to Bishandas and Inayat, the folio reflects Mughal manuscript illustration and collaborative courtly artistic practices.
