Davāzdah Rokh^[1] (Persian:دَوازدَه رُخ) (Twelve combats) is a story inShahnameh. This relatively long story (almost 2,500 verses) is described as one of the finest stories of Shahnameh in terms of "plot, dramatic description, and insight into human nature".^[1]

It takes place on the border betweenIran andTuran, where a number of Iranian heroes fight with a number of Turanian heroes. In all cases, Iranian heroes defeat their Turanian competitors.Goudarz is the chief of Iranian heroes andPiran Viseh is the chief of Turanian heroes. The battle begins when Piran's brother, Houman, challenges the Iranians and is killed by Bizhan in asingle combat. The two armies then join battle, without either side prevailing. Finally they agree to abide by the outcomes of a series of single combats (mard o mard) between the greatest heroes of the two armies:

1. Fariburz vsGolbad Viseh
2. Giv vs Goruye Zereh
3. Gorazeh vs Siamak the Turanian
4. Foruhal vs Zangolah
5. Rohham vs Barman
6. Bizhan vs Rooyin
7. Hojir vsSepahram
8. Zange-ye Shavaran vs Akhvast
9. Gorgin vsAndariman
10. Bartah vs Kohram
11. Goudarz vsPiran
12. Gostaham vs Lahhak and Farshad

In all battles, the winner is the Iranian hero. At the end,Goudarz killsPiran and the war ends. However,Gostaham, who has not been chosen byKay Khosrow to fight with Turanians, chases Lahhāk and Faršēd, brothers of Piran, and kills them, although he himself is severely injured in the process, whereupon Bizhan takes him to Kay Khosrow, who saves his life by the expedient of binding a healing amulet to his arm. The war ends with the death ofAfrasiab, Turan's king. In some manuscripts of Shahnameh the story is entitled azYazdah Rokh (Eleven combats), not counting the last fight between Gostaham and Piran's brothers.

The campaign ends with the victory of Iran and the implementation of a festival in honour of the empire’s noble rulerKai Khosrow andGoudarz the valiant commander of his sovereign’s army.

According toshahnameh the place of war was in the area nearZibad Castle or black mountain ofGonabad inIran state ofGreater Khorasan .[1].[2]^[3]

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  Bizhan VersusRuyyin
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  Kay Khosrow Reviews His Army
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  Kay Khosrow arrival in Iran^[4]
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  Davazdah Rokh victory
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  Kay Khosrow andAfrasiyab
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  Lahhak andFarshidvard
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  Barta versusKuhram
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  BATTLE OF 12 Rokh)

• Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp

• Ferdowsi university Simorgh Magazine,No 9 August 28, 2018 page 81-89 Location of Davazdah Rokh combats

[3]

• hamshahrionline: a festival in the place of Davazdah Rokh war[4]
• [5]

• Shahnameh stories

• Articles containing Persian-language text