Shah Zaman or Schazzenan is the Sultan of Samarkand (a.k.a. Samarcande) and brother of Shahryar. Shah Zaman catches his first wife in bed with a cook and cuts them both in two. Then, while staying with his brother, he discovers that Shahryar’s wife is unfaithful. At this point, Shah Zaman comes to believe that all women are untrustworthy and he returns to Samarkand where, as his brother does, he marries a new bride every day and has her executed before morning. At the end of the story, Shahryār calls for his brother and tells him of Scheherazade’s fascinating, moral tales. Shah Zaman decides to stay with his brother and marries Scheherazade’s beautiful younger maiden sister, Dunyazad, with whom he has fallen in love. He is the ruler of Tartary from its capital Samarkand.
Appearance List One Thousand and One Nights, or Arabian Nights with first English-language edition c. 1706–1721
Sample Read The Arabian Nights: Their Best-known Tales by Smith, Wiggin, and Parrish [PG]
Description Shah Zaman or Schazzenan is the Sultan of Samarkand (a.k.a. Samarcande) and brother of Shahryar. Shah Zaman catches his first wife in bed with a cook and cuts them both in two. Then, while staying with his brother, he discovers that Shahryar’s wife is unfaithful. At this point, Shah Zaman comes to believe that all women are untrustworthy and he returns to Samarkand where, as his brother does, he marries a new bride every day and has her executed before morning. At the end of the story, Shahryār calls for his brother and tells him of Scheherazade’s fascinating, moral tales. Shah Zaman decides to stay with his brother and marries Scheherazade’s beautiful younger maiden sister, Dunyazad, with whom he has fallen in love. He is the ruler of Tartary from its capital Samarkand.
