Fourteen days passed Shawwal A contemplation upon a dated verse in Shahnameh

In the beginnings of the story of Ashkanian, Ferdowsi says: Mahmud has reduced the yearly tax in half and this news has reached Tous in 14th of Shawwal and people said prayers to Mahmud. What was the reason for this tax reduction and in what date did it take place? Master Taghizadeh has regarded the issue of this order due to the famine of Khorasan in the year 401. However Dr Zaryab khoei believed that the motivation and the pretext for this tax reduction in the year 400 was due to the booties Mahmud acquired after the conquest of Behimnegar fortress in that year. Dr Omidsalar accepts the year 400 according to Dr Zaryab as for the date of the conquest of Behimnegar fortress, and not found a discrepancy between the two views, in Shahnameh notes has combined the two versions. Since this matter is related to the date of the final composition of Shahnameh, after discussion and investigation in this article it was concluded that the conquest of that fortress had been ended in the beginnings of Dhu al-Qidah 399 that is 24 months before the outbreak of famine in Khorasan in Shawwal 401. Therefore, it could not have been a motivation for the reduction of tax in that year. Tax reduction in the year 400 is also not acceptable for many reasons hence master Taghizadeh’s opinion is the only authentic one and a piece of evidence outside Shahnameh also supports this view.