Sultan Sanjar and the Old Woman (painting, recto; text, verso), folio from a manuscript of the Khamsa (Makhsan al-Asrar) by Nizami

Makhzan al-asrar contains stories dealing with religious and moral values, worldly power, and spiritual concerns. This episode of Nizami’s poem tells of an old woman who complained to the Seljuk ruler Sultan Sanjar (d. 1157) about the harsh treatment that she had received from his police. After recounting the physical and mental suffering inflicted on her by Sanjar’s men, she proceeded to describe the immoral conduct of the ruler himself and the disapproval of his subjects throughout the empire, warning him that his tyranny and lack of justice would lead to his demise. In this illustration, the sultan is shown astride his horse and surrounded by the men of his retinue, one of whom shades him with a parasol. The old woman approaches, and she and the sultan gesture with extended arms, indicating that they are conversing. Although she is the subject of Nizami's story, she is a minor figure in this painting, which is dominated by the image of Sultan Sanjar. The episode takes place in a flowery green meadow, behind which is a hill with rocky outcroppings that suggest human faces—a common convention in Safavid painting.