Its first foundation was in the time of Ferídún (f. 28b). When his sons Túr and Salm slew their brother Íraj, he left a daughter in the district of Lafúr at Máwjakúh. Ferídún was then at a very advanced age, and his eyebrows drooped so that they had to be bound up. His earnest prayer was that he might live to see the death of his favourite son ´Iraj avenged, and he gave the daughter of ´Iraj in marriage to one of his nephews. When a child was born to her, it was shewn to the aged Ferídún, who said, “Mánad chihr-ash bi-chihr-i-´Iraj” (“His face resembles the face of ´Iraj”)*, so he was called Manuchihr; and, as is set forth in the verse and prose Sháhnámas of Firdawsí and Mu`ayyidí, he avenged his grandfather ´Iraj ere Ferídún departed from this world. Here are cited the well-known verses of Firdawsi:
<Arabic>
Thereafter Pashang, the son of Afrásiyáb came with a great army to Dahistán to avenge the death of Salm. Minúchihr, king at Iṣṭakhr in Fárs*, ordered Qárin [the son of] Gáwa, his brother Qubád, and ´Arish of Ray to oppose his advance. Afrásiyáb, having been worsted several times by the Persians, had recourse to a kind of treacherous stratagem of which, as Arab writers assert, he was the inventor. He wrote to Qárin saying, “I have received your letter and have taken note of your professions of loyalty* towards me. When I take the kingdom of Persia, I promise, as God is my witness, to hand it over to you.” Afrásiyáb then arranged that the méssenger who bore this letter should fall into the hands of a Persian noble who was in the confidence of Minúchihr and ill-disposed towards Qárin. This noble (f. 29a), having read the letter, at once reported the matter to Minúchihr, who, entirely deceived by Afrásiyáb’s cunning ruse (for Qárin was perfectly loyal and meditated no treachery), ordered Qárin to be brought before him, and made over the command of the army to ´Arish. As soon as Qárin was thus removed, Afrásiyáb attacked the Persians and drove them back on 'Iráq. Then at length Minúchihr perceived that he had been duped, and reinstated Qárin in his command. Qárin advanced to Ray with his army. Afrásiyáb pitched his camp <Arabic>, and daily gained some advantage over Minúchihr, who ordered the Castle of Ṭabarak to be constructed, and there, a year later, after many serious defeats, he was obliged to take refuge. At that date the city stood over against the spot afterwards occupied by the Cupola of Fakhru`d-Dawla (<Arabic>), which place they now call* in Ray Diz-i-Rashkán, and it remained thus till the time of the Daylamites of the House of Buwayh, “and,” adds the author, “in the house of the Ṣáḥib Ibn 'Abbád I have seen a mound like a hill [which marks its site].” Minúchihr came from Ṭabarak to the city, fortified the walls, and abode there six months, when he was compelled to flee and escape by way of Láriján to Ṭabaristán, while Afrásiyáb made the wide world narrow to him as the eye of a needle:
Afrásiyáb pursued him into Ṭabaristán until he reached the limits of Rúyán, a village called Mánahar (<Arabic>). There, in one face of the mountain, is a great cavern, to the end of which no man hath ever penetrated, and in it Minúchihr concealed his treasures and stores. In the time of Ḥasan b. Yaḥyá al-'Alawí*, called kúchak (“the Little”), this cave was entered, and much wealth found there. Afrásiyáb alighted at a village called Khusraw-ábád near ´Amul (f. 29b), which village still existed in the time of Washmgír (A. D. 935—967) the son of Ziyár, the father of Qábús. Above this village was a tree called Shátí-mází-bun (<Arabic>), beneath which Afrásiyáb pitched his tent for twelve years, and during all this time Minúchihr had need of nothing which is imported from foreign countries except pepper, in place of which they used to eat a herb* called kalíj (<Arabic>), in order that their bodies might be able to resist the moisture of the climate. Finally Afrásiyáb concluded peace with Minúchihr (since he could not capture him) on the understanding that he should surrender to him one bowshot’s width of territory. ´Arish thereupon shot an arrow from there to Merv, a statement recorded in many Persian and Arabic books, both verse and prose*; which some say that he achieved by virtue of some talisman or charm. This is one of the two shots in which the Persians glory, the other being the shot wherewith, in the reign of Kisrá (Anúshírwán), Wahriz slew the king of the Abyssinians*. From the conclusion of this war dates the prosperity of Rúyán, and the depopulation of this region (? Ṭabarak), for King Minúchihr thereafter established himself in Ṭabaristán.