The political history of the SÄmÄnid state
The SÄmÄnids (204/819-395/1005) were the last Iranian dynasty to rule Eastern Iran before the advent of the Turkish Muslim states which dominated the_central Islamic lands during the medieval period. The SÄmÄnid state was the largest and most prosperous of the ~Abbasid successor states and one of the most vigorous culturally. Yet like all successor states, the Samanids were beset by a high level of political instability which led finally to the dismemberment of the state between two Turkish dynasties, the QarÄkhÄnid steppe rulers and the Ghaznavids, former vassals of the SÄmÄnids. This thesis explores the causes of this instability and attempts to account for the fall of the state, using the works of V.V. Barthold and R.N. Frye as points of reference. Barthold's hypothesis, which concludes that the Samanids and their bureaucrats were overwhelmed by an alliance of military and scholarly interests before the arrival of the QarÄkhÄnids, is rejected. Instead the fatal weakness in the state structure is sought in the institution of patronage which controlled appointments to provincial governorships. Chapter one presents a survey of the sources with particular reference to the chronicle literature and
Treadwell, William Luke
History ; Iran
The political history of the SÄmÄnid state. The SÄmÄnids (204/819-395/1005) were the last Iranian dynasty to rule Eastern Iran before the advent of the Turkish Muslim states which dominated the_central Islamic lands during the medieval period. The SÄmÄnid state was the largest and most prosperous of the ~Abbasid successor states and one of the most vigorous culturally. Yet like all successor states, the Samanids were beset by a high level of political instability which led finally to the dismemberment of the state between two Turkish dynasties, the QarÄkhÄnid steppe rulers and the Ghaznavids, former vassals of the SÄmÄnids. This thesis explores the causes of this instability and attempts to account for the fall of the state, using the works of V.V. Barthold and R.N. Frye as points of reference. Barthold's hypothesis, which concludes that the Samanids and their bureaucrats were overwhelmed by an alliance of military and scholarly interests before the arrival of the QarÄkhÄnids, is rejected. Instead the fatal weakness in the state structure is sought in the institution of patronage which controlled appointments to provincial governorships. Chapter one presents a survey of the sources with particular reference to the chronicle literature and
political_history state last iranian dynasty rule eastern iran advent turkish muslim state dominate the central islamic land medieval_period state large prosperous successor state vigorous culturally yet like successor state beset high_level political_instability lead finally dismemberment state turkish dynasty steppe ruler former explores cause instability attempt account fall state use work point reference hypothesis conclude bureaucrat overwhelm alliance military scholarly_interest arrival reject instead weakness state structure seek institution patronage control appointment provincial present survey source particular_reference chronicle literature