Qaren, also written Qaran, is a commander associated with Kawa in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. His episodes turn on deception, the death of his brother Qobad and a disputed decision to protect the army’s families.

Shahnameh manuscript page with four columns of Persian verse, battle standards above and mounted warriors against a red background below
“The Combat of Qaran and Afrasiyab,” circa 1330–1340, attributed to Iran, probably Isfahan. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1974.290.5; a later illustration of the epic. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Open Access · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons.

Entering a fortress by deception

In the Fereydun cycle, section 19, Qaren anticipates that Salm will retreat to a stronghold surrounded by water. He requests soldiers, Manuchehr’s banner and Tur’s signet ring. Leaving the troops with Shiruy, he approaches the gate as a supposed messenger from Tur. The seal persuades the keeper to admit him. Qaren claims that an approaching force bearing Manuchehr’s standard should be welcomed as an ally. He later raises his own signal, allowing Shiruy’s soldiers to attack. The episode ends in fire and extensive killing: tactical intelligence secures victory, but the poem also describes its destructive consequences. [1]

Why Qobad accepts Barman’s challenge

In Nowzar, section 4, Barman rides out to challenge the Iranian camp. When none of the younger champions answers, the aged Qobad volunteers. Qaren protests to his brother, fearing that his death will break the army’s morale. Qobad answers that death comes to everyone, whether in battle or in bed. He asks Qaren to prepare his burial with care. Barman wins the duel, and Qaren leads an attack before returning to Nowzar in grief. Their exchange gives Qobad his own reasoning and agency; he is more than a name whose death merely explains another hero’s revenge. [2]

Protecting families against the king’s wishes

In Nowzar, section 6, Afrasiab sends Karukhan towards Pars, threatening the Iranian army’s families and baggage. Qaren asks permission to follow. Nowzar objects that no other commander can arrange the army as he can, and that Tus and Gostaham have already gone to secure the households. Qaren nevertheless discusses departure with Shidush and Keshvad. They decide that remaining is unacceptable while their families risk captivity. Leaving during the night, Qaren encounters Barman outside the fortress and kills him with a spear, avenging Qobad. He then continues towards Pars. Family obligation pulls the commander away from his king at a military crisis. [3]

The cost of a successful escape

In the next section, Nowzar learns of Qaren’s departure and attempts to escape himself. Afrasiab pursues and captures him with a large body of nobles. The victor then orders a search for Qaren. Learning that he has already escaped because of concern for the families, Afrasiab becomes distressed and sends Viseh after him. He also tells Viseh to bear his son’s death firmly, connecting the pursuit to Barman’s killing. [4] Qaren’s survival therefore sits beside royal defeat and another household’s bereavement. These passages complicate a simple portrait of uninterrupted obedience: resourcefulness, kinship and competing military duties shape his choices.

Sources and further reading

  1. Ferdowsi, Shahnameh, Fereydun, section 19: Qaren’s fortress stratagem. Persian verse, Ganjoor.
  2. Ferdowsi, Shahnameh, Nowzar, section 4: Qobad’s challenge, death and Qaren’s grief. Persian verse, Ganjoor.
  3. Ferdowsi, Shahnameh, Nowzar, section 6: departure towards Pars and Barman’s death. Persian verse, Ganjoor.
  4. Ferdowsi, Shahnameh, Nowzar, section 7: Nowzar’s capture and the pursuit of Qaren. Persian verse, Ganjoor.
  5. Metropolitan Museum of Art, “The Combat of Qaran and Afrasiyab,” circa 1330–1340, object 1974.290.5: collection record and image rights.