Sudabeh

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Sudabeh, also known as Sodaba, is a princess of the Hamavaran kingdom in the Persian epic Shahnameh. She becomes the wife of Kay Kāvus, the king of Iran, and the stepmother to Siyavash.

The story starts when Kay Kāvus fights a rebellion while he is in Sistan. He sails across the sea to Hamavaran, where the king Dhul-Adhar agrees to help him if Kay Kāvus leaves Hamavaran and pays gold. Kay Kāvus agrees and returns to Iran.

One of his guards suggests he should marry the Hamavaran king’s daughter, Sudabeh, who is beautiful. Sudabeh agrees to marry Kay Kāvus, and the king sends her to him with gold gifts. Later, the Hamavaran king invites Kay Kāvus to visit. Sudabeh fears a trap but Kay Kāvus goes anyway. Hamavaran welcomes him and, with help from Barbarstan, traps Kay Kāvus and kills the Iranian guards. They hold Kay Kāvus in a high palace and send men disguised as women to Iran to fetch Sudabeh.

Sudabeh is distressed by what happens to her husband and accompanies him. The story of Hamavaran’s treachery spreads, and Afrasiab invades Iran. Rostam vows to rescue Kay Kāvus and defeats the allied forces of Hamavaran, Egypt, and Barbarstan. The Hamavaran king surrenders and agrees to hand over Kay Kāvus and Sudabeh to Rostam, if Rostam releases the Hamavaran king and the others. Rostam agrees, and the allied army continues to fight Afrasiab.

Sudabeh’s most famous moment is connected to Siyavash. When Siyavash returns, Sudabeh is overcome with desire for him and tries to seduce him in her private palace. Siyavash resists and refuses to betray his father. Sudabeh then tries to turn Rostam against Siyavash. Siyavash leaves Iran for Turan. He is later killed there, and Rostam blames Sudabeh. When Rostam returns to Iran, he pulls Sudabeh from the palace and kills her in public.