U368 Mongol Conquest Lecture
Week Six, Monday:  Islam and the Dynastic Cycle

 

  1. Islam come out of a previous nomadic empire
    1. Parallels to both Mongol empire and Chinese dynasties, BUT
    2. Rise of Islam has unique significance for Muslims, not just another dynasty
  2. New ruling clique (cf. Chinese guo) in the Islamic first century
    1. Dynastic in-group: 1) prophet's family, 2) companions, 3) Arabs as a whole
    2. Islam:  religion of conquest elite, rules over Christian, Persian masses
      1. Surrendered fighters made "clients" of particular Arab tribes
    3. Islam preserved the feeling of being a charismatic band of brothers
  3. World of Islam (dar ul-Islam): conflicted evolution of the conquest elite
    1. First conflict: who should be caliph (successor to prophet)?
      1. Sunni theory: any orthodox, effective ruler regardless of family
      2. Shi'ite theory:  only the descendants of 'Ali (Prophet's kinsman, son-in-law)
    2. Second conflict: can non-Arabs be equal Muslims?
      1. Early theory:  no, otherwise being a Muslim is not special
      2. After first century:  yes, anyone can be a Muslim, all Muslims equal
    3. Third conflict:  never really resolved
      1. All Muslims are one in-group and equal before the law, BUT
      2. Family, tribal, ethnic sentiments not eliminated by Islam, AND
      3. Islamic society (like China, Europe) based on inequality, peasantry
      4. Shi'ite solution:  secret brotherhood of partisanship for imam ('Alids)
      5. Frontier solution:  Muslim contrasts to non-Muslim enemies
  4. The Sunni compromise with inequality and in-group feeling
    1. Caliph in Baghdad, directly ruled only Arab Iraq area
      1. Symbolizes unity of Islam, recognizes local rulers ("shah/sultan")
      2. Caliph and local ruler mentioned on coinage and khutba (Friday prayer)
      3. Sayyids, khojas: honored as descendants of the Prophet
    2. Military system:  Rise and fall of ruling families
      1. Military slavery one solution of dilemma of all Muslims being equal
      2. Tribes new to Islam preserve tribal solidarity >> another solution
      3. Commanders paid by hereditary right to taxes (iqta') >> aristocrats
  5. Turkish dynasties: after 1055, Turks dominate local rule, titles from Caliph
    1. Turks and Tajiks
      1. Turk ruling class: professional soldiers, slaves, and tribals
        1. Turk soldiery holds inner citadel of walled oasis cities
      2. "Tazik" (=Iranian) farmers, merchants, scribes: demilitarized
        1. Outer city held by the Tazik citizenry, Tazik peasants farm
    2. Tribal reservoir, both outside and inside Islamic world
      1. Qanglï and Qïpchaq, Turkish tribes from beyond Islam
      2. Turcomans/Türkmen, Turkish tribes within Middle East
    3. Khorazm-shahs were one such local dynasty, reunited Iran plateau