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INTRODUCTION.
xxvii
Farukh-zad. Now, according to a Pahlavi tale', the accursed Abális , the Zandik, had a religious disputation with Åtūrfrôbag, son of Farukh-zâd, in the presence of the Khalifah Al-Mâmûn who reigned A.D. 813-833; it is, therefore, hardly possible that Roshan, son of Åtür-fröbag, could have written his commentary before the middle of the ninth century. We also know, from the last chapter of the third book of the Dînkard, that Åtar-frôbag was not the last editor of that work, but was succeeded by his son Zaratast, and, later still, by Åturpâd, son of Hêmîd, who appears to have given the book its final revision. Of Åtarpåď's work the author of the Sikandgůmânîk Vigår does not speak, and it is, therefore, reasonable to suppose that it had not been completed in his time. But, according to Bd. XXXIII, 10, 11, this Âtûrpåd was a contemporary of Zâd-sparam who was living in A.D. 881), and his revision of the Dinkard was, therefore, probably in progress by the end of the ninth century. From these facts we may conclude that the Sikand-gamânîk Vigar was written after the middle, but before the end, of the ninth century; unless we were to suppose that, although its author consulted only the first two books of the Dînkard (as mentioned above), the remaining seven books may have existed as a separate work unknown to him. Considering, however, that Åtûrpád, son of Hêmîd, was so important a personage as the leader of those of the good religion of his time, this supposition would not be very probable.
There is probably nothing new to defenders of Christianity in Mardân-farukh's attacks upon the apparent inconsistencies of their scriptures, with regard to the origin of evil and the existence of unity in trinity, subjects that are more usually admitted without investigation than seriously discussed. This is not, however, the mode in which such subjects are likely to be treated by outsiders, and missionaries will no doubt find among Mardân-farukh's arguments many that they must become accustomed to hear from educated
* A copy of which is contained in the very old codex No. 20 in the University Library at Kopenhagen, fols. 148–152.
* The reading of this name is uncertain, but this is the Pâzand form. * See Ep. III, 2, 17, 21.
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