<Articles>The Legitimacy of the Rule of the Muzaffarids : Changes in Policy during the Reign of Mubariz al-Din Muhammad

DOI HANDLE Web Site Open Access

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • <論説>ムザッファル朝における支配の正統性 : Mubariz al-Din Muhammad 治世の政策の変遷
  • ムザッファル朝における支配の正統性--Mubariz al-Din Muhammad治世の政策の変遷
  • ムザッファル チョウ ニ オケル シハイ ノ セイトウセイ Mubariz al Din Muhammad チセイ ノ セイサク ノ ヘンセン

Search this article

Abstract

After the death of the last de facto Il Khan, Aba Said, in 1335, influential Mongol amirs seated descendants of Chingiz Khan as puppet rulers in a struggle for power. At first, local Iranian dynastic regimes, which had been established under the Il Khanid dynasty, recognized the authority of such puppet khans, but later denied the authority of the Mongols. Although a large number of studies have been made on how regional Iranian regimes won support for their rule, little research has been devoted to the Muzaffarids, one of the local regimes established during the Il Khanid period. Therefore, I wish to show in this study the process of the establishment of the legitimacy of the rule of Mubariz al-Din Muhammad, the founder of the dynasty. Muzaffar, the father of Mubariz al-Din, served several of the Il Khanid rulers, and was conferred the post of overseeing the roads (tutghaul) in Yazd district. After his father's death, Mubariz al-Din inherited the post and was then given the title of governor of Yazd by Aba Sa'id in 1318. Because the Muzaffarids were descended from an Arab family who had migrated to Yazd during the Mongol invasion, they had no relations with the people of Yazd. It seems likely that without the support of the Il Khan, Mubariz al-Din could not have attained legitimacy to rule Yazd from the first. After obtaining the right to rule in Yazd, Mubariz al-Din actively started to develop relations with powerful figures in Yazd, especially a family of the Sayyids known as the Nizam, giving them economic support in the form of appointments to offices. Moreover, as Mubariz al-Din conquered the Kirman district, the 'ulama came to play an important role when he made war or concluded peace with the nomadic tribes of Mongols in the district. In this way, we may say that he won the support of city dwellers for his own rule, but he made no effort to make outward display of his position as ruler at the time. After Mubariz al-Din captured Shiraz in 1353, he had to establish the legitimacy of his rule over the newly gained Fars district in order to further his military operations. Consequently, he chose to swear an oath of loyalty (bay'a) to the 'Abbasid Caliph in Cairo. Thereafter, Mubariz al-Din came to assert not only his status as secular ruler, Sultan, but the authority of a religious leader as well. Judging from the changes policy during the reign of Mubariz al-Din, it appears that both secular power and religious authority were required by a ruler in order to establish the legitimacy of rule in Iran where the authority of the Chingizid had rapidly faded.

Journal

  • 史林

    史林 89 (5), 714-742, 2006-09-01

    THE SHIGAKU KENKYUKAI (The Society of Historical Research), Kyoto University

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top