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The Samanids , Ghaznavids , and Ilkhanids and From Timur to Babur: Empire in Central Asia

The Samanids , Ghaznavids , and Ilkhanids and From Timur to Babur: Empire in Central Asia. HIST 1007 11/15/13. History at the Movies. Kingdom of Heaven (2005) Thur. Nov. 21 st 6-9pm McMicken 53. Return of the Dihqans. Samanids (r. 819-999) Descent from pre-Islamic nobility

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The Samanids , Ghaznavids , and Ilkhanids and From Timur to Babur: Empire in Central Asia

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  1. The Samanids, Ghaznavids, and Ilkhanids and From Timur to Babur: Empire in Central Asia HIST 1007 11/15/13

  2. History at the Movies • Kingdom of Heaven (2005) • Thur. Nov. 21st 6-9pm • McMicken 53

  3. Return of the Dihqans • Samanids (r. 819-999) • Descent from pre-Islamic nobility • Maintained lands in Transoxania • Sub-governors under Tahirids • 901 – defeat Saffarids for control of Khurasan • Mixture of Islamic and Persian identity • Ability to deploy local networks Monument to Isma`il b. Ahmad al-Samani (r. 892-907), Tajikistan

  4. Persian-Islamic Culture • Samanid court culture combines pre-Islamic Persian traditions with Islam • Samanids rule through mixture of Persian kingship with Muslim piety • New Persian – Persian in Arabic script • Persian as language of court and administration • Employment of religious scholars • Involvement in war against steppe Turks Tomb of Ismail b. Ahmad, Bukhara, Uzbekistan

  5. Nishapurware

  6. New Persian • Is it anti-Arab? • Shu’ubiyya • Translation from Arabic • al-Tabari (d. 923), Tarikh al-Rusulwa al-Muluk (History of the Prophets and Kings) • Bal’ami, Tarikhnama-iTabari (History of al-Tabari) – written in 963 • TafsiriTabari Manuscript of Tarikhnama-iTabari

  7. Shahnama • “Book of Kings” • Stories of pre-Islamic Persian kings • Abu al-QasimFirdawsi (940-1020) • 1010 – completes verse Shahnama • 50,000 rhymed verses • Becomes national epic of Iran and neighboring countries • Is this anti-Islamic? • Is it anti-Arab?

  8. Shahnama as Mirror for Princes • Royal farr – divine right of kings • All kings must have it • Kings who misbehave can lose it • Tales of legendary kings set the model for rulers both good and bad • Establishes a model of Persian kingship • Not entirely compatible with Islam

  9. Turko-Persian Culture • Turks entering Islamic world pass through the courts of the Samanids first • Ghaznavids (r. 962-1186): Samanidghulams turned rulers of Afghanistan and Khurasan • Adoption of Persian as courtly language • Adoption of Persian dress and culture • Actual patrons of the Shahnama?!? • Persian kingship another ideal for Turkic sultans to live up to. Mahmud of Ghazna (r. 997-1030) in his court.

  10. Shanamaand Turko-Persian Culture

  11. Steppe Peoples and Turko-Persian Culture • Experience of ruling Transoxania and Khurasan • Incorporation of Persian advisors • Seljuqs and Nizam al-Mulk • Over time, not just a shared culture • Shared story of transition from nomadic tribalism to empire • Turkic-Mongol social organization combined with Persianate-Islamic institutions and culture

  12. Turko-Persian Culture and the Mongols • Mongol destruction of Central Asia • Calculated frightfulness • Il-Khanids – not immediately interested in Islam and Muslim traditions • Golden Horde (Kipchak) and Chagatai Khanates convert first • Early favoritism towards Christians and Buddhists • Turko-Persian culture comes first Chinggis Khan remembered as Persian Shah

  13. Turko-Mongol Traditions • Lineage of Chinggis Khan – new source of legitimacy • Chagatay (son) and the Chagatay Khanate (r. 1225-1687) – Central Asia • Jochi (son) and the Golden Horde (Kipchak Khanate) (r. 1240’s-1502) – Russia and Siberia • Hulagu (grandson) and the Il-khanids (r. 1256-1335) – Iraq, Iran, and Anatolia

  14. Timurids (r. 1370-1507) • Moghulistan – “Land of the Mongols” – modern Kazakhstan • Turkified Mongols • Turko-Persian culture • Timur (Tamerlane) (r. 1370-1405) • Dream of recreating empire of Chinggis Khan • Not a Chinggisid • Islam as part of legitimization • “Sword of Islam”

  15. Timur the Mongol • Emir Timur not Timur Khan • Suyurghatmish (r. 1370-1384) – Khan of the Western Chagatai Khanate, Chinggisid • SarayMulkKhanum (ca. 1343-1406) – Wife of Timur, Chinggisid • Son-in-law State • Tokhtamysh-Timur War (1380’s-1390’s) – Timur battles Golden Horde for steppe supremacy

  16. Timur the Turko-Persian • Samarqand – Timur’s capital • Silk Road entrepot • Samanidcapital (along with Bukhara) • 1383-1387 – Conquest of Iran • Isfahan – surrenders and later revolts • Timur massacres 100,000-200,000 people • 28 towers of glowing heads • Systematic – spares artists and engineers • Transformation of Samarqand • de Clavijo (d. 1412): Ambassador from Castile

  17. Gur-e Amir, Samarqand

  18. Timur the Muslim • Can’t become caliph • Ordained by God with supernatural personal power • Conquest is proof he is favored by God • “I am not a man of blood; and God is my witness that in all my wars I have never been the aggressor, and that my enemies have always been the authors of their own calamity.”

  19. Timur the Muslim • 1399-1402 – conquest of Anatolia, Iraq, and Syria • Wars with Mamluks and early Ottomans to restore Seljuq authority • Removes Knights Hospitaller from Smyrna • Ghazi – Holy warrior • Establishment of mosques and madrassas • Sayyid Baraka (1343-1403): Sufi teacher, buried next to Timur

  20. Registan, Samarqand

  21. Forensic Reconstruction (1941)

  22. Ulugh Beg Observatory, Samarqand

  23. Ulugh Beg Observatory, Samarqand

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