King Saleb Dowleh, originally known as Goudarz, is a mentioned character involved in the history of Sumeru as a ruler during the era of the city-states of the Great Red Sand.[1] Saleb claimed to have become king with the patronage and support of King Deshret and made efforts to venerate Deshret during his reign.[2]
Profile[]
Before his rise as king, Goudarz is known to have fought against rebels at Tulaytullah who were allied with a "false" Khagan. Supposedly, Goudarz's forces fought the rebels for three days with no clear end in sight. However, on the third day, a mirage appeared which helped Goudarz "repel" the rebels (who were branded as traitors afterwards).[2]
In the aftermath, an unspecified person or group who lived in Gurabad heard about the rebels' defeat and fled to avoid pursuit from an elder brother; at the same time, Goudarz is recorded as heading to Gurabad in triumph. This unknown person is possibly Goudarz' younger brother, whom Goudarz allied with again near the end of his life.[3]
Goudarz proceeded to re-establish Gurabad as the capital city of the desert,[Note 1] inviting the people of the Cities of the Seven Towers (a list including Ay-Khanoum, Saleh, and Tulaytullah) to return there. He changed his name and was declared as King Saleb Dowleh. It is claimed that Al-Ahmar appeared before Saleb Dowleh and gifted him with an "illusion," legitimizing his reign. Saleb Dowleh, in turn, is recorded as declaring the construction of widespread public works, including many statues of Al-Ahmar.[2][4][Note 2]
There followed ten years of peace under Saleb's rule, which became known as the era of "fine rain at sunset."[2] At some point during those years, Saleb Dowleh made an alliance with the Dharma Forest port city of Orghana (now known as Port Ormos). Orghana promised to stop raiding Saleb's lands, and Saleb in return ceased to pillage the lands and people of Orghana.[2]
The years of "fine rain at sunset" ended with the death of Saleb's son, Prince Hojir, who died suddenly after drinking poisoned wine. In mourning, Saleb Dowleh ordered that one thousand slaves would be buried with Hojir, while one hundred nobles were also recorded as drinking the wine while "overborne with grief," causing their own deaths as well. Saleb Dowleh was accused of orchestrating these events and thus being guilty of filicide. In the resulting power vacuum, the king's brothers, heirs, and nephews turned against each other and fought over the throne.[3]
Seeking support, Saleb Dowleh summoned Muzaffar, a Dey from Orghana with whom he had declared an alliance. However, instead of providing support, Muzaffar Dey pillaged and killed his way to Gurabad,[5] causing Saleb to ally "once more" with his younger brother. They were defeated by Muzaffar Dey, who attributed his victory to the infighting between Saleb's family. Muzaffar Dey forced Saleb Dowleh to watch Gurabad burn before executing him and his entire family. Instead of returning to Orghana, Muzaffar Dey decided to take reign and build his city in the desert, while leaving Gurabad abandoned once more.[3]
The fate of Saleb Dowleh led Muzaffar Dey to instruct his son Zumurud to have many heirs (99 sons and daughters) to avoid the power vacuum scenario which ended up deposing Saleb.[6]
Trivia[]
- Goudarz (Persian: گودرز) is an Iranian hero of the Shahnameh, a Persian epic poem. Prince Hojir is similarly based on Hojir, one of the four sons of Goudarz, who also appears in the Shahnameh.
- Saleb (Persian: صَلِيب) refers to a geometrical cross shape. Ed-Dowleh (Persian: الدوله) is a title used by governors of the Qajar dynasty in Iran.
- Khagan is a title used by Mongol and Turkic rulers when they established empires in the Eurasian steppe and around the Middle East region.
Notes[]
- ↑ Gurabad had earlier been the "mortals' ideal kingdom" under Ormazd and Parvezravan, acting as the capital until it was destroyed by Liloupar's machinations. It became the capital again under Shah Ramshahr (who claimed to be the "rightful heir" following Shiruyeh) and his successor Garshāsp, who is recorded as abandoning Gurabad to make a different city the capital.
- ↑ The claim of King Deshret's appearance was possibly a political lie. King Deshret had likely already died at that time, as suggested by the inscription on the Primal Obelisk in The Mausoleum of King Deshret, East (Underground), which states that Deshret would not have allowed the disorder caused by Shah Ramshahr's reign if he were "yet here." Given that Ramshahr claimed to be the rightful heir of Shiruyeh over Gurabad and took credit for creating the towers which the "Cities of the Seven Towers" were named for, Goudarz's reign presumably came after Ramshahr and Garshāsp.
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Saleb Dowleh |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 撒勒布・道莱 Sālèbù Dàolái |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 撒勒布・道萊 Sālèbù Dàolái |
| Japanese | サリブ・ドーレイ Saribu Doorei |
| Korean | 자레브・다울라 Jarebeu Daulla |
| Spanish | Saleb Dowleh |
| French | Saleb Dowleh |
| Russian | Салеб Довла Saleb Dovla |
| Thai | Saleb Dowleh |
| Vietnamese | Saleb Dowleh |
| German | Saleb Dowleh |
| Indonesian | Saleb Dowleh |
| Portuguese | Saleb Dowleh |
| Turkish | Saleb Dowleh |
| Italian | Saleb Dowleh |
Change History[]
References[]
- ↑ Sumeru/History
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Interactable: Vaguely-Readable Inscription, Mausoleum of King Deshret, East
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Interactable: Vaguely-Readable Inscription, Mausoleum of King Deshret, West (Underground)
- ↑ Sumeru, Land of Lower Setekh, Viewpoint: Towers of Betrayal (The "Towers of Betrayal" are remembered as being built around the time of King Deshret's death. There is no confirmation that they correspond with the seven towers,)
- ↑ Interactable: Vaguely-Readable Inscription, Mausoleum of King Deshret, North
- ↑ Interactable: Vaguely-Readable Inscription, Valley of Dahri