Faramarz

Faramarz
Faramarz mourning Rostam and Zavareh, Baysonghori Shahnameh (1430)
Reign	Under Kay Khosrow
Died	Mythological era Sistan
Cause of death	Executed by Kay Bahman
Issue	None
Dynasty	House of Nariman
Father	Rostam
Mother	Unknown

Kay Bahman's attack on Sistan and defeat of Faramarz in the Jami al-tawarikh, written by Hafiz-i Abru. (Held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Faramarz (فرامرز)[1] is an Iranian legendary hero (pahlavan) in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh ("Book of Kings"). He was the son of Rostam and was ultimately killed by Kay Bahman.

The book Faramarz-nama, written about a hundred years after the Shahnameh, is devoted to Faramarz and his wars. He is also mentioned in other epics such as the Borzu Nama.[2]

Faramarz was the son of Rostam and grandson of Zal, belonging to the House of Nariman. His lineage connects him to the semi-divine ancestry of Iranian heroes, and he is often described as the last heir of Rostam’s heroic family.[3]

In the Shahnameh, Faramarz is appointed by King Kay Khosrow as ruler of Zabulistan and later tasked with campaigns in India. He slays Turanian rulers such as Varazad of Sepinzh and captures Surkheh, son of Afrasiyab.[4] During the feud between Rostam and Esfandiyār, Faramarz kills Mehrnush, Esfandiyār’s son, escalating the tragic confrontation between the two heroes.[5]

The Faramarz-nama (فرامرزنامه) is a Persian epic poem composed between the 11th and 12th centuries. It recounts Faramarz’s adventures in India, his battles with demons, and his spiritual trials. Two versions survive: one anonymous manuscript influenced by Ferdowsi’s style, and a later expanded version compiled in Bombay in 1906.[6][7]

Faramarz appears in the Borzu Nama, where he interacts with Borzu, the son of Sohrab, linking him to the broader Sistani cycle of epics.[8] He is also mentioned in the Jāmiʿ al-tawārīkh of Hafiz-i Abru, which depicts Kay Bahman’s attack on Sistan and Faramarz’s defeat.[9]

According to the Shahnameh, Faramarz was executed by Kay Bahman, who invaded Sistan to avenge his father Esfandiyār’s death. Bahman imprisoned Zal and ordered Faramarz to be hanged and pierced with arrows, marking the end of Rostam’s direct lineage.[10]

• Shahnameh
• Faramarz-nama
• Borzu Nama