The Alternation of the Sermon to Ithna  Ashari Imams (AS): The Political Power and Religion at the Beginning of the Reign of Sultan Hussein Bayqara

With the death of Abu-Sa’id Gurkany, Sultan Hussain Bayqara after 12 years of struggling, on 10 Ramadan 873AH, captured Herat. This was while the survivors of Abu-Sa’id were not willing to defend Khorasan and there was the risk of attack by Uzun Hassan at any time. He could get control over Herat with only a small number of his forces who were not able to guarantee the survival of his governance by themselves. In these circumstances, one of the first measures he took in Herat was that he decided to change the sermon to Ithna ‘Ashari Imams, the decision that was met with opposition and was later put aside. Later his contemporary sources sought to omit his role in this adventure, and attributed it to a group of willful people and opportunists. The aim of this research is to indicate that not only did the Sultan have a key role in the adventure, but also his Shiite companions didn’t enjoy such an influence and power to do anything other than accompanying him. The main purpose of this action, regardless of the role of personal conviction, was to use Shiite elements in popular religious beliefs of Khorasan's Sunni ordinary people (Twelver Sunnism) along with Shiite forces in Khorasan and Astarabad in order to obtain legitimacy, social support, and stabilization of power