Mirrors Across the Stage: Historical Cultural Exchanges between Iran and India and Their Role in the Formation of the Shah Salim Puppet Play

Abstract

This article explores the historical and cultural exchanges between Iran and India and their role in shaping the Iranian puppet play known as Shah Salim-bazi. By tracing evidence from the Sasanian period through the Safavid and Mughal courts, it examines how itinerant performers, courtly interactions, and transregional trade contributed to the transmission of performative traditions. A comparative analysis highlights structural parallels between Shah Salim-bazi and the Indian Kathputli tradition, particularly in staging, character types, the role of the narrator, and the integration of live music. Special attention is given to semiotic markers, such as the name “Shah Salim,” reminiscent of Mughal Emperor Jahangir (Salim Mirza), and the comic figure Mubarak, a dark-skinned servant whose accent and marginal status evoke the cultural presence of Indian slaves and performers in Safavid Iran. These elements suggest not only cultural borrowing but also a hybridization shaped by political alliances, migration, and commercial routes across South Asia and Iran. The study argues that Shah Salim-bazi should be understood as a hybrid theatrical form, reflecting both local creativity and intercultural dynamics. Such a reading broadens the historiography of Iranian popular theatre by situating it within wider networks of cultural transmission.