Tur (Shahnameh)

Tur, in Ferdowsi's epic poem the Shahnameh (The Book of Kings), is one of the three sons of Fereydun, the legendary king who divided the world among his sons. Tur receives the lands of Turkestan, and his descendants are considered the ancestral people of the Turks and other Central Asian nomadic groups.

Tur is depicted as brave but impetuous and easily influenced. He is often contrasted with his brothers, Salm, who received the western lands, and Iraj, the youngest and most favored, who inherited Persia (Iran). This unequal division of the kingdom fuels resentment in Salm and Tur, who conspire to murder Iraj.

The murder of Iraj by Tur and Salm sets in motion a long and bloody cycle of vengeance, which forms a significant portion of the Shahnameh's narrative. This feud between the descendants of Iraj and Tur creates a lasting division between Iran and Turan (the lands inhabited by the Turks). The conflicts between these two regions, often marked by heroic battles and tragic losses on both sides, represent a recurring theme of war and rivalry throughout the epic. Tur, though a foundational figure, is not typically portrayed as a positive hero. His role is more as an instigator of conflict and a symbol of the antagonism between Iran and Turan.