Rad and Mubad in Shahnameh of Ferdowsi

In Mazda’s tradition, gods, angels guarding the heavens and earth and any good thing created by Mazda are all entitled Rad. In most of the Zoroastrian scriptures and Pahlavi texts, Rad is also used as synonymous with Zoroastrian religious headman or spiritual leader. Rad is a frequently used term in Shahnameh to which the lexicographers have attributed various meanings, such as learned, wise, brave and champion.However, the important points overlooked by explicators are the relationship between Rad and Mubad (Zoroastrian priest) and the reason why these two words have co-occurred so frequently in Shahnameh, the most famous Persian national epic. It seems that Rad in Shahnameh, based on Avesta and Pahlavi texts, is often construed as Sadane or Dastoor that was a high position in ancient Iran’s religious hierarchy. Thus, Rads and Mubads were both considered members of religious communities. This study tries to investigate the role and position of Rads and Mubads and their relationship with one another, based on Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, in three chapters: The etymology of Rad; Rad in Shahnameh; The relationship between Rads and Mubads.