نشریه تاریخ و فرهنگ
سال چهل و پنجم شماره 1 (پیاپی 90، بهار و تابستان 1392)

In the early centuries، the land of Persia was a scene of clashes، riots، revolutions – great and small – consisting of various political، religious، and social motivations. In the meantime، maybe the least known of all is the uprising of Abū ‘Īsā Iṣfahānī، which، because he and his followers were Jewish and as it was a resurgence in a country with a Muslim population as well as due to the ambiguities and differences in reports concerning the nature and quality of this resurgence and its aftermaths، it befits to be more seriously examined. Abū ‘Īsā was a Jew residing in Isfahan and in fact was the first Iranian، who revolted against the Umayyad rule after gathering many partisans in the second half of the second century A. H. with an optimal utilization of the intrigued atmosphere of that era and with new religious – and sometimes Christian – doctrines. According to some reports، he was defeated and suppressed، and according to others، he disappeared and hid in a cave، and yet according to some other reports، he took to the desert to convey God’s message and his own mission to Banū Mūsā، who lived on the other side of the Mermel River. His revolt – which was an important apocalyptic movement in the Jewish history – was not left idle، as his companions، called ‘Īsawiyya or Iṣfahāniyya، followed his way both in theory and practice.

Religion، as a factor، was a very important pretext both before and after the advent of Islam for invading the Georgian settlements. Of the ruling dynasties in post-Islam Iran، Ak-Koyunlus or Bāyundurian، under the leadership of Uzun Ḥasan، were among those invaders who، under the guise of religion and in the name of campaign (ghazā) and jihād، carried out destructive attacks on Georgians. Five significant attacks of Uzun Ḥasan against the Georgians are recorded in sources under the heading of campaign and we know that ghazā is a sacred and divine battle against the infidels for expansion of Islam as a religion. Anyway، this research addresses the attention Uzun Ḥasan paid to the land of Georgians involved in the struggle with Sultan Muḥammad Fātiḥ and is intended to clarify his motivations for invading those regions.

In the post-Islamic era، factors such as constructing the city of Baghdad، flourishing of trade، and Hajj travels prospered the roadways of the Eastern world of Islam، which mainly passed through Iran، providing for the safety and welfare of these roads were among the significant issues. In the third and fourth centuries A. H.، each part of the above-mentioned connecting roads was located in the domain of one of the symmetrical dynasties of Iran. In their heyday of prosperity، these dynasties somehow provided for the safety and welfare needed on the roadways. However، many of the necessary installments such as caravanserais were developed on the roadways and cities under the banner of cultural values of the society such as endowments. The religious supporting and matters of charity prompted various groups to participate in the issues relating to the roadways and provide for the equipment required by travelers. The present research intends to examine the role of the public culture of the society of the Iranians during the above-mentioned centuries in providing travel installments and fulfillment of travelers’ needs.

Having selected Quhistan as one of the important centers of the Nazaris’ activity in Iran، the local Muhtashams of this province focused their efforts on increasingly expanding their spheres of influence in the region. One of the important centers that the Nazaris had in mind to expand was Nīmrūz province (Sistan). By occupying the fortresses in the passageways at the entrance of Sistan، they would put the rulers of that province under pressure. One of these fortresses was Shāhanshāh or Shāhāndizh. The strategic position of this fortress، which was located in the North passageway of entrance to Sistan، would pave the way more and more readily for the infiltration of the Nazaris in Sistan; therefore، during their presence in the fortress، they created much tension with the local rulers of Sistan. Eventually، the coalition of the Sistan’s ruler of the time with the Mongol invaders enforced a different future for the residents of Shāhanshāh. The weakening of the Nazaris’ governance in Sistan was the ultimate aftermath of this coalition. The present writing، while introducing the Shāhanshāh fortress، seeks to examine and evaluate its role in the spread of Nazaris’ religious mission.

The Muslims who، in the early centuries of A. H. and before the Mongol domination over the Islamic land، possessed a vast part of the world’s prosperous and residential regions، constructed many cities and in light of Islamic teachings، held a premium culture and civilization، whose eminent feature was its Islamization، which was matchless in its own time. One of the manifestations of this precious culture and the main pillar of Islamic civilization is its consideration of knowledge and science followed by honoring the scientists. Many Muslim scientists were constantly traveling and emigrating from city to city in such a wide expanse. With a historico-analytical approach and presentation of examples of historical reports of the Muslim historian، this article، while referring to their goal and motivation of the scientists’ travels، intends to show that honoring the emigrating and travelling scientists resulting from religious teachings، as a part of Islamic culture، was institutionalized with the Muslims and formed the procedure of their encounter with the emigrating scientists.

The relationships between the Safavids and the Shirvānshāhs and the situation of the Shirvān province during the Safavid’s reign comprise one of the important chapters in Safavid history from the politico-military dimension and on the internal and regional level. The appearance of Shah Ismā‘īl I in the scene of political challenge and his attack on Shirvān in 906/1500، destabilized the power of the local Shirvānshāhī government and the age-old relationship based on enmity and violence between the two dynasties of Shirvānshāhī and Safavids turned into compromise and submission of the Shirvānshāhs to the Safavids. In the developments emerged in the political arena with the establishment of the Safavid state، the Shirvānshāhs lost their independence and turned into tribute payers to the Safavids، which continued until the early decades of the reign of Shāh Tahmāsb I. Finally، despite frequent revolts by the Shirvānī claimants and the involvement of the Ottoman، Tartar، and Daghestan forces in the existing clashes، the Safavids were able to transform Shirvān from the situation of submission and tribute paying into their own explicit sovereignty and managed to put an end to the political life of the Shirvānshāhāns. In this article، the relationship between the Safavids and the Shirvānshāhān during the years 930/1523 to 995/1586 from the beginning of the Monarchy of Shāh Tahmāsb I until the rising of the Safavid Shāh ‘Abbās I to power، which underwent many ups and downs، the factors influential in these bilateral relations، the position of the Shirvānīs versus the Safavid sovereignty، and the role of peripheral forces in the conflicts of the Safavids with the Shirvānīs، are studied and analyzed.