Beyzai's 'Kalat Claimed' Published in English

'Kalat Claimed' a play written by Iranian film and theater director, screenwriter and playwright Bahram Beyzai is now available in English.

The play was translated into English by Iranian writer, translator, presenter and film director Manouchehr Anvar.

Anvar, 87, has translated another of Beyzai's plays, 'Death of Yazdgerd', a story based on the murder of Yazdgerd III, the last king of the Sassanid Empire (224-651). He has also translated the play 'A Doll's House' written by Norwegian playwright, theater director and poet Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), irantheater.com reported.

The English translation is published by Tehran-based Roshangaran Publications. The book can be purchased online at the website of the publishing house: roshangaran-pub.ir/bookshow.

Beyzai, 77, wrote Kalat Claimed in 1982. The original Persian version was first published by Damavand Publishing in 1984 and later by Roshangaran.

It is the story of two generals during the Mongol conquest of Khwarezm (Chorasmia), a large oasis region in western Central Asia which was a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC) in Persia, and their disputes over the accession of Kalat. 

Kalat, a city in Khorasan, is ruled by Tui Khan. He holds a grudge against fellow general Togai Khan over the scores on the number of slain enemies. Tui invites Togai to Kalat to have a feast and forget the past. But actually each one is plotting to kill the other.

Togai acts first and captures Tui but he manages to flee.  Tui Khan's wife, Ay Banou gathers an army of Tui's remaining soldiers and marches toward Kalat with the assistance of Alans, a nomadic pastoral people of antiquity. Ultimately, Ay Banou emerges the winner, with both the generals dead.