مجله تاریخ و تمدن اسلامی
پیاپی 35 (تابستان 1400)

This article raises the question of who is meant by Buhlål inscribed on the coin of Ray multiplied in 173 and whether it is the name or title of a person or a phrase in confirming the grade and quality of the coin. In order to obtain the answer of MuhammadÊya mint coins in the years 170 to 173 AH were compared with the data of written sources. According to the findings of this study, the Buhlål engraved on the MuhammadÊya coin is the famous Buhlål of the Abb§sÊd era, namely Abū wuhayb b. ʿAmr b. Moḡīra. With the BarmakÊds domination in the Harån period, Yahy§ BarmakÊ sent Buhlål as the MuhammadÊya (Ray) administration. Buhlål  did  not be in this office for a long time because of his tendency towards Shiism and possibly the caliph's concerns. Then he pretended to be mad and spent the last years of his life in Kåfa.

In some periods of Islamic history, apart from the original verses and Hadiths that express the Islamic view of the fate of the world, a large collection of non-authentic eschatological literature and Hadiths was prevalent in Islamic texts and popular literature. Apart from recognizing the eschatological beliefs contained in them, this vast literature is also noteworthy from the perspective of extending some of the ancient eschatological ideas, and to understanding the macro-historical perspective that lies behind them, as well as their implications for some contemporary social and cultural environment and events. This paper analyzes an eschatological quasi-Hadith that Maqdisī, a famous geographer, encountered with and quoted in Fārs. According to the findings of this study, this quasi-Hadith is a reflection of some of the eschatological and at the same time non-apocalyptic tendencies in the Iranian and Islamic milieu in the 4th century AH/ 10th century AD. This quasi-Hadith also represents a mixture of a kind of cosmopolitan and non-hegemonic ideal and an ethnic ideal in the Iranian sense, which, of course, is not fully in line with the Iranian Shahanshāhī ideology. Hence, it is possible that apart from general Iranian historical perspective, some traces of cosmopolitan attitudes influenced by non-Zoroastrian worldviews that are inconsistent with the Shahanshāhī ideology, which has a hue of Islamic literature, are reflected in this quasi-Hadith.

Following the decline of the Mongol dynasty in Transoxiana, the relationship between the rulers and the Såfi sheikhs entered a new phase, so that during the TimårÊds period, NaqshbandÊ Såfis enjoyed considerable influence in the society, the b§z§§r and the court as well.  Although NaqshbandÊyya suffered a severe blow with the rise of Mohammad Kh§n Sheib§nÊ and the fall of the TimårÊds, especially in Samarqand, they not only remained in the Transoxiana politics, but also were able to play an important role in the power equations during this period, while establishing a continuous and extensive relations with the court of the Sheib§nÊds. The question of present study is why this relationship continued. According to the findings, both the emergence of the SafavÊd ShÊÊte rule in Ir§n and the initial coalation of the TimårÊds' remnants with it necessitated the relations of the Sheib§nÊds with the SunnÊ NaqshbandÊ sheikhs. Moreover, conflicts within the NaqshbandÊ houses as well as their local and economic interests, led sheikhs to establish greater contacts with the Sheib§nÊds. The internal struggles of the Abu al-Khairkhan’s descendants for power, especially after the death of 'Ubaidullah Khan, was effective in the entry of influential NaqshbandÊ sheikhs into politics.

Naq§wat al-Āth§r fi Dhikr al-Akhyar of Afåshta’Ê al-NatanzÊ (lived in 1007 AH) is one of the most important chronicles of the SafavÊd era. This article examined to clarify the method and approach of NatanzÊ in his book. And also in order to evaluate the position of Naq§wat-al-Āth§r in the historiographical tradition of that time, this book has been compared and measured with five historical books of that period. In his book NatanzÊ has used methods such as text coherence, narrative continuity, and using of referential methods to better describe the text, which has added value to its history. The book is influenced by the views of the Ir§nshahrÊ and the interpretive attitude. In compare with the historians of Shah Abb§s I period, NatanzÊ has a more interpretive attitude in interpreting events due to his mastery of verses, hadiths and poetic themes. Despite this attitude, the author has sought to reflect the historical facts and has been somewhat successful in expressing it.

The critical texts have been expanded under Q§j§r dynasty by most Iranian critics and reformists. The various works were written under the influence of political and social developments of Iran. The works were as Siyāsatnāmeh, Rasāil- i Mashråtah, intellectual and Ulamā works, Maktåbāt- i Khiyāli and story. The story as a new genre showed how the writers criticized some unsatisfactory situation under Q§jar that worth to be studied carefully. Among those who were pioneered in the such cases, we can refer to Mirz§ Fath Ali Akhåndz§de who is used in Tamthil§t tried to criticize some aspects of the NasirÊd period. Apparently, the story of Yåsuf Sh§h or Sit§rig§n i -FarÊbkhurdih is the most significant critical text which he has written about Q§j§r society. In this paper the author tries to examine this story as a critical text. According to the research findings, Yåsuf Sh§h is the best story of Akhundz§de and his political and social ideas about unorganized conditions of N§sirid period.

Among the writing of numerous works in the field of descriptive geography in the third century AH, the kitāb al- Buldān was written by Ibn Faqīh Hamadānī at the end of this century. Ibn Faqīh belonged to the Iraqi school of Islamic geography. He begins his book with a description of Mecca as the center of the world. Paying attention to the geographical writing style of Greek and Iranian geographers, the book based on regions, not using the map, writing of the wonders and the richness of patriotic identity elements are some of his geographical writing features. In terms of geographical typology, the “kitāb al- Buldān” is closer to economic and human geography. Another importance of the book is that it clarifies the complexity of some historical and cultural concepts of Iran. Due to the lack of travelling and observations, Ibn Faqīh relies on the written and audio sources. This research tries to investigate his school and geographical method by a historical method and descriptive-analytical approach.