"Alexander Executes Janusiyar and Mahiyar, the Slayers of Darius", Folio from a Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Firdausi 1457 - 1507

This Persian miniature, made with ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper, depicts Alexander executing Janusiyar and Mahiyar. It’s a folio from a Shahnama, or Book of Kings, by Abu'l Qasim Firdausi. Completed around 1010 AD, the Shahnama is Iran’s national epic. The epic’s stories intertwine mythical, cultural, and historical narratives. This painting illustrates a story about the consequences of regicide. In it, Alexander the Great orders the execution of two assassins who murdered the Persian king Darius. Here, the artist connects the act of regicide to a broader political question: the legitimacy of Alexander’s conquest of Persia. The painting implicates Alexander in the assassination by portraying him as a ruthless ruler. Understanding this work involves research into the Shahnama and the context of Persian courtly culture at the time, but it also tells us about the politics of imagery.