Power, politics and religion in Timurid Iran / Beatrice Forbes Manz.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Manz, Beatrice Forbes

Series:

Cambridge studies in Islamic civilization

Cambridge studies in Islamic civilisation

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Timurids--History.

Timurids.

History.

Physical Description:

xvii, 313 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, UK ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2007.

Summary:

Beatrice Forbes Manz uses the history of Iran under the Timurid ruler Shahrukh (1409-47) to analyze the relationship between government and society in the medieval Middle East. She provides a rich portrait of Iranian society over an exceptionally broad spectrum - the dynasty and its servitors, city elites and provincial rulers, and the religious classes, both ulama and Sufi. The work addresses two issues central to pre-modern Middle Eastern history: how a government without the monopoly of force controlled a heterogeneous society, and how a society with diffuse power structures remained stable over long periods. Written for an audience of students as well as scholars, this book provides the first broad analysis of political dynamics in late medieval Iran and challenges much received wisdom about civil and military power, the relationship of government to society, and the interaction of religious figures with the ruling class.

Contents:

Family tree of major Timurid princes xviii

1 The formation of the Timurid state under Shahrukh 13

2 Issues of sources and historiography 49

3 Shahrukh's diwan and its personnel 79

4 Political and military resources of Iran 111

5 Timurid rule in southern and central Iran 146

6 Political dynamics in the realm of the supernatural 178

7 The dynasty and the politics of the religious classes 208

8 The rebellion of Sultan Muhammad b. Baysunghur and the struggle over succession 245.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 284-295) and index.

ISBN:

0521865476

9780521865470

OCLC:

71347567