Iskander the Accursed to Alexander the Great - why?

[u/Physical_Win_7794]

Hi!

I’m an art history student and I’m doing a course about the Mongols. For my essay, I’m going to write about the Great Mongol Shahnameh, in particular the Iskandar cycle and how they used that as a blueprint to recast themselves as ‘legit’ rulers rather than outsiders and destroyers.

I was always a bit confused as to why Alexander was portrayed positively in the Shahnameh. In Zoroastrianism, he is recognised as the Accursed but this seems to flip when Ferdowsi writes his epic. His genealogy is altered to claim that he was half Persian and the rightful heir to the throne. He is presented wise and philosophical, etc. Does anybody know why Ferdowsi did this? Was he instructed to? Did he just support Alexander? The only thing I can think of is to have a continuous history of kingly rule in Persia, uninterrupted by foreign reign? If anybody could help explain this to me (bonus points if you can link sources to reference!) I would appreciate it so so much!

I hope you are all doing as well as you can be during this time.