Representation of the Character of Mehrak Noushzad in Epic and Historical Texts and Folk Culture

Mehrak Noushzad is one of the characters of the Shahnameh and Karnameh-e Ardeshir Babakan, who is also mentioned in some historical texts of early Islam and plays an important part in the beginning of the Sasanian monarchy. Mehrak's daughter marries Shapur, the son of Ardeshir Babakan, and is the mother of Hormoz, the next king. The story of the life of Mehrak and his daughter was so famous in the Islamic era that it was mentioned in historical texts. This story is described in detail in the Shahnameh, but in the historical texts, details of his life were reduced or changed; for example, the Shahnameh claims his realm to be Jahrom, but Tabari's history considers it to be Abrasas or Irasestan in ArdeshirKhore. Traditional accounts also consider Mehrak's daughter to be a “kurdzadeh”, which means the daughter of shepherds. While this article tries to recreate the face of Mehrak in literary and historical works in a descriptive-analytical way by comparing local narratives and geographical works, it also tries to find the name, place of residence, government and the reason for the story of Mehrak being in the Shahnameh in a comparative way. According to the results of this research, Mehrak was a historical figure of Parthian ancestry; he was the ruler of Jahrom city and the southern regions of Fars and Irahestan and the connection of his family with the Sassanians led to the peace of Iranshahr and the disappearance of local riots. Jahrom and Irahestan are essentially the same in historical and epic texts, and both refer to the tropical regions of Iran and the shores of the southern seas.