From Fictional Yatim to Historical Qurchi (Recognizing the Unknown Identity of Hossein Kurd Shabestari, Based on Historical and Literary Sources)

Hossein Kurd Shabestari is one of the most popular heroes in contemporary Persian epic literature. According to recent evidence, the report of his life and battles in Iran, which has been identified for several years as “the story of Hossein Kurd Shabestari”, is the fourth part of another epic entitled Yatimnameh. A comprehensive edition of the work has not yet been published. Ignoring the various aspects of Yatimnameh has resulted in the ignorance of the historical identity of Hussein Kurd as the protagonist of the narrative, and in turn the incorrect comments and ideas about the character. This study evaluated the data obtained from the new historical and literary sources. According to the results, Hossein Kurd Shabestari is Hossein Beyg Tabrizi, Shah Abbas's special bodyguard (Qurchi), who is described in the narrative as a Yatim.