Samanid strategies in the face of the powers of time in the final years of government

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Studies, Farhangian University, Hakim Ferdowsi Alborz Campus

Abstract

The Samanids were one of the most important governments in the eastern part of the Islamic world in the fourth century AH. The Samanid government, which initially had strong rule based on efficient geographical, political, and bureaucratic elements, was weakened and degenerated in the final years of its rule due to the adoption of a shaky and defensive foreign policy.
The purpose of this article is to know the relations of the Samanids with the powers of their time: the Abbasid Caliphate, the Buyid dynasty, the surrounding kings and the Qarakhanids. The Samanids 'relations with the surrounding kings (subordinate rulers) were strained due to the structural weakness of the government and their defensive and passive strategy, and these powers interacted with the Samanids' rivals, including the Karakhanids and the Buyids, which resulted in the decline of the Samanids. The questions that this research seeks to answer, what role did the Samanids' defensive strategy play in their decline? Why was the Samanid policy of confrontation against the caliphate ineffective? The research is descriptive-analytical method and the research findings show that the Samanids with a defensive strategy could not create a proper balance in their relations with their subjects, claimants and foreign rivals (Qarakhanian and Al-Buwayh). It played a decisive role. Also, the Samanids' confrontation with the Abbasid caliphate, which was rooted in rivalry with the Buyids, led rivals to use the caliphate to gain legitimacy.

Keywords

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

References

A) Resources
Ibn al-Athir, Izz al-Din Ali (1351), Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh (vol. 15), translated by Ali Hashemi Haeri, Tehran: Iran Books Publishing Company (Scientific).
Ibn Esfandiar, Bahauddin Mohammad (2010), History of Tabarestan (Part II), by Abbas Iqbal Ashtiani, Tehran: Myths.
Isfahani, Mahmoud Ibn Mohammad (Bita), Instruction of the Road, by Saeed Nafisi, Tehran: Iqbal.
Barthold, W. Vasili (1987), Turkestan Nameh (Vol. 1), translated by Karim Keshavarz, Tehran: Agah.
Basworth, Edmund Clifford (1998), History of the Ghaznavids, translated by Hassan Anousheh, Tehran: Amirkabir.
Benakati, Fakhreddin Abu Suleiman Daud (1348), History of Banakati (the first shrine of the alphabet in the knowledge of histories and genealogy), by Jafar Shaar, Tehran: National Works Association.
Bayhaqi, Abolfazl Mohammad Ibn Hussein (1350), History of Masudi (History of Bayhaqi), by Ali Akbar Fayyaz, Mashhad: Ferdowsi University.
Tha'alabi Al-Neyshabouri, Abi Mansour Abdul Malik (1983 AD / 1403 AH), Orphan Al-Dahr Fi Mahasin Ahl-e-Asr, corrected by Mohammad Qomiha, Beirut: Dar Al-Kitab Al-Almiyeh.
Jorfadghani, Abolsharaf Naseh Ibn Zafar (1978), Translation of Yamini History, by Jafar Shaar, Tehran: Book Translation and Publishing Company.
Jawzjani, Judge Abu Omar Minhaj-ud-Din bin Siraj-ud-Din (1342), Nasiri classes (vol. 1), by Abdul Hai Habibi, Kabul: Afghanistan History Association.
Khezri, Ahmad Reza (1378), History of the Abbasid Caliphate, Tehran: Samat.
Khwandmir, Ghias-ud-Din Ibn Hammam-ud-Din Al-Husseini (1333), History of Habib Al-Seer in the News of Human People (Vol. 2), Tehran: Khayyam.
Rah-e-Pimasrvestani, Razieh (2013), "Sayegh Sardar Samani's special advantage and his relations with Al-Simjoor", The growth of history education, Volume 14, Issue 4, Summer.
Rahmati, Mohsen (2015), "Samanid Political Relations with the Abbasid Caliphate and the Factors Affecting It", History of Islam and Iran, Vol. 25, New Volume, No. 28 (118 consecutive), Winter.
--------- (1397), "Relations of the readers of Al-Afrasiab with the Abbasid Caliphate", History of Islam, p. 10, p. 37, summer.
Zarrinkoob, Abdolhossein (1371), History of the Iranian people after Islam, Tehran: Amirkabir.
Shabankarei, Mohammad Ibn Ali Ibn Mohammad (1376), Majma 'al-Ansab, by Mir Hashem Mohaddes, Tehran: Amirkabir.
Al-Sannaji, Abi Abdullah Mohammad (1378), History of the Fatimids (News of the kings of Bani Obaid and their character), translated by Hojjatullah Judaki, Tehran: Amirkabir.
Taqoush, Mohammad Soheil (2001), The Abbasid Government, translated by Hojjatullah Judaki, Qom: Research Institute and University.
Abdullahi, Fatemeh (2011), "The position of the city in the political and military relations between the Samanids and the Buyids", Research in History, Year 2, Issue 2 (3 in a row), Summer.
Aufi, Sadid al-Din Mohammad (1362), Societies of anecdotes and episodes of dreams (critical text, part 2 of the second part), by Amir Banoo Mosafa (Karimi), Tehran: Iranian Culture Foundation.
Fakhrmadbar, Mohammad Ibn Mansour (Mubarak Shah) (1346), Adab al-Harb al-Shuja'a, by Ahmad Soheili Khansari, Tehran: Iqbal.
Fry, Richard Nelson (2001), History of Cambridge Iran (Vol. 4: From the collapse of the Sassanids to the coming of the Seljuks), translated by Hassan Anousheh, Tehran: Amirkabir.
------------ (2005), Bukhara Medieval achievement, translated by Mahmoud Mahmoudi, Tehran: Scientific and cultural.
Forouzani, Abolghasem (2002), History of political, social, cultural and economic developments in Iran during the Samanid period, Tehran: Samat.
Faqihi, Ali Asghar (1357), Al-Buwayh and the situation of his time with a diagram of the life of the people of that time, misplaced: Saba.
Kermani, Nasser al-Din Munshi (1364), Nisaim al-Ashar min Lata'im al-Akhbar, by Mir Jalaluddin Hosseini Armavi (Muhaddith), Tehran: Information.
Gardizi, Abu Saeed Abdul Hai Ibn Zahak Ibn Mahmoud (1363), Zayn al-Akhbar, by Abdul Hai Habibi, Tehran: Book World.
Mobin, Abolhassan (2015), "A Study of the Ghaznavid and Karakhanid Conflicts in Khorasan", Journal of History, Year 10, Issue 40, Autumn.
Mostofi Qazvini, Hamdollah Ibn Abi Bakr Ibn Ahmad (1339), Selected History, published by Abdolhossein Navai, Tehran: Amirkabir.
Muskouyeh Razi, Abu Ali (1376), The Experiences of the Nation and the Succession of the All (vol. 6), translated by Aliqoli Manzavi, Tehran: Toos.
Anonymous author (1372), Hudood al-Alam from the East to the West, with the belongings of Vladimir Minorsky, by Maryam Mirahmadi and Gholamreza Varhram, Tehran: Al-Zahra University.
Anonymous author (1340), a collection of histories and stories, by Mohammad Taghi Bahar, Tehran: Kalaleh Khavar.
Mir Khan, Mir Mohammad Ibn Seyyed Burhanuddin Khavandshah (1339), History of Roza Al-Safa (Vol. 4), Tehran: Pirooz.
Naji, Mohammad Reza (1999), Islamic history and civilization in the Samanid realm, misplaced: Scientific Assembly of Samanid civilization, history and culture.
Nouri, Jafar (1397), "Reflections on the role of military rulers in weakening and overthrowing the Samanid government", Historical Research, Volume 54, New Volume: Tenth Year, No. 4 (40 consecutive), Winter.
Heravi, Javad (2010), "Samanid government in the field of foreign policy", historical essays, first year, vol. 2, autumn and winter.
--------- (2001), History of the Samanids (Golden Age of Iran after Islam), Tehran: Amirkabir.
-------- (1399), "The Karakhanids invaded Bukhara and the fall of the Samanid state", Historical Studies of the War, Volume 4, Number 2, Series 12, Summer. Pp. 117-135
10- Discourse of History
Volume 15, Issue 33 - Serial Number 33
Volume 15, Issue 33, Spring2021
April 2021
Pages 63-84

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics