Editing Arash (section)

==Summary==
The basic story of the bowman runs as follows: In a war between the [[Arya (Iran)|Iranians]] and [[Turan]]ians over the "royal glory" (''[[Khvarenah|khwarrah]]''), the Turanian general [[Afrasiab]] has surrounded the forces of the righteous [[Manuchehr]], and the two sides agree to make peace. Both reach an agreement that whatever land falls within the range of a bow-shot shall be returned to the Manuchehr and the Iranians, and the rest should then fall to Afrasiab and the [[Aniran]]ians. An angel (in [[al-Biruni]] it is ''Isfandaramad'', i.e. the [[Amesha Spenta]] [[Spenta Armaiti]], in [[Middle Persian]] called ''Spendarmad'') instructs Manuchehr to construct a special bow and arrow, and Arash is asked to be the archer. Arash then fires the specially-prepared arrow at dawn, which then traveled a great distance (see below) before finally landing and so marking the future border between the Iranians and the Aniranians.

In Talebi and [[Muhammad Bal'ami|Bal'ami]], Arash is destroyed by the shot and disappears. In [[Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari|al-Tabari]], he is exalted by the people, is appointed commander of the archers and lives out his life in great honor. The distance the arrow travels varies: in one, it is a thousand leagues (''[[farsakh]]s''), and in another, forty days' walk. In several, the arrow traveled from dawn to noon; in others, from dawn until sunset. A few sources specify a particular date for the event. The Middle Persian ''Mah i Frawardin'' notes the 6th day of the 1st month (i.e. [[Haurvatat|Khordad]] of [[Fravashi|Frawardin]]); later sources associate the event with the name-day festivities of [[Tiregan]] (13th of [[Tishtrya|Tir]]) "presumably" provoked by the homonymity with the ''[[Yazata]]'' Tir or ''tir'' "arrow." ({{harvnb|Tafażżolī|1987|p=266|Ref=Tafazzoli}})

The location from which Arash fired his arrow varies as well. In the [[Avesta]] (which does not mention places in Western Iran), it is ''Airyo.khshaotha'', an unidentified location in the [[Karshvar|Middle Clime]]. Islamic-era sources typically place the location of the shot somewhere just south of the [[Caspian Sea]], variously in [[Tabaristan]] (Tabari, Talebi, Maqdesi, [[Ali ibn al-Athir|Ibn al-Athir]], Marashi) and (al-Biruni, [[Abu Saʿīd Gardēzī|Gardēzī]]); [[Amol]] fortress ([[Mojmal al-tawarikh|Mojmal]]); [[Mount Damavand]] (Balami) or [[Sari, Iran|Sari]] (Gorgani). The place the arrow landed is variously identified as 'Mount Khvanvant' in the Avesta (likewise an unknown location); a river in [[Balkh]] (Tabari, al-Atir); east of Balkh (Talebi); [[Bactria]]/[[Tokharistan]] (Maqdesi, Gardizi); the banks of the [[Oxus River]] (Balami) or [[Merv]] (Mojmal). According to al-Biruni, it hit a [[walnut tree]] between "[[Fargana]]" and Tabaristan "in the furthest reaches of [[Greater Khorasan|[Greater] Khorasan]]."

The name Arash remains a popular name among Iranians.