Abstract
The illustration of the manuscripts of the Book of Kings began in earnest towards the end of the 13thcentury , when a manuscript tradition already existed. A multitude of illustrated manuscripts have appeared since that time, some from the great princely workshops and corresponding to precise commissions with an iconographic program, others intended for a wider public and endeavoring to satisfy its tastes. In some cases, for example, the emphasis is on warlike exploits to satisfy military leaders, while in others, on the contrary, genre or court scenes are favored for a literate or feminine audience. Some periods or regions are abundantly produced, others much less so: in the 16thcentury , for example, the Shaybanids produced very few illustrated copies, whereas in Samarkand, from 1600 onwards, they became numerous and found a vast audience. Until the end of the 16thcentury , Shiraz was the most important center for the copying of illustrated Books of the Kings : few were commissions, and many were intended for sale to Iranian, Ottoman or Indian audiences. Among the most famous Persian manuscripts are the great Shahnameh of Baysonghor (1435) - in which the royal patronage of craftsmen is magnified - and the famous Shah Tahmasb (1535) - which very quickly became a model for Iranian artists. India had a tradition of producing illustrated Books of Kings right up to the time of Akbar, but the Great Mughals did not claim a privileged relationship with the ancient Iranian heroes, whereas the Parsis were very interested in the epic. In some manuscripts, special importance is given to the Turanian cycle, while in others, Iran is better treated. More neglected, the Sassanid period is sometimes given pride of place, or on the contrary, the early days of Iranian history, with its founding myths. The study of the iconography of the manuscripts of the Book of Kings, which is now becoming more accessible (Shahnameh Project), is already providing a better understanding of the reasons behind the deliberate choice to illustrate scenes corresponding to political or military concerns, in line with a dynastic ideology that varied from one period and region to another.
