Power, Politics and Religion in Timurid Iran

A comprehensive history of Iran in the early fifteenth century under the Timurids.

Beatrice Forbes Manz (Author)

9780521865470, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 March 2007

336 pages
23.3 x 16 x 2.6 cm, 0.67 kg

'Manz focuses … on prominent individuals, on their careers and their networks of connections, to bring fresh light on the workings of medieval society and its interactions with the government.'. The Journal of Speculum

Beatrice Forbes Manz uses the history of Iran under the Timurid ruler Shahrukh (1409–1447) to analyse 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 elite 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 a 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.

List of maps
Preface
Chronology
Family tree of major Timurid princes
Introduction
1. The formation of the Timurid State under Shahrukh
2. Issues of sources and historiography
3. Shahrukh's D?w?n and its personnel
4. Political and military resources of Iran
5. Timurid rule in southern and central Iran
6. Political dynamics in the realm of the supernatural
7. The dynasty and the politics of the religious classes
8. The rebellion of Sultan Muhammad b. Baysunghur and the struggle over succession
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP], Islam [HRH], Early history: c 500 to c 1450/1500 [HBLC], Asian history [HBJF], General & world history [HBG]