Despite the many important developments and innovations traceable to the Seljuq period (5th-7th/11th-13th centuries), the Seljuqs remain one of the understudied Muslim dynasties. This unique collaborative exploration of the Seljuqs' achievement contributes to the growing interest in this pivotal dynasty. The various chapters in this volume cover a representative geographical spectrum, from Central Asia and Persia to Iraq, Syria and Anatolia, and address novel questions such as the ideological foundations and ritual expressions of Seljuq power, the mutual attitudes of the learned classes and the Seljuq state, the organization of space, and the relationship between nomads and the settled peoples. The book is divided into three parts: the origins of the Seljuqs, their gradual transformation into a powerful dynasty, and their concepts of political legitimization (part one); the social history of the Seljuq period, particularly with regard to the 'ulama' and the urban populations (part two); developments in religious thought, jurisprudence, belles-lettres and architecture under the Seljuqs (part three). Key Features *Brings together the work of leading international experts in Seljuq studies including C. E. Bosworth, Massimo Campanini, Carole Hillenbrand, Robert Hillenbrand, Jurgen Paul, Andrew C. S. Peacock and Scott Redford *Critically engages with previous scholarly work on the Seljuqs *Addresses novel questions and challenges in the historiography of the Seljuq period *Pays particular attention to the Seljuqs' formative influence on later socio-political orders

About the Author
Christian Lange is Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. He is author of Justice, Punishment and the Medieval Muslim Imagination (2008) and co-editor (with Maribel Fierro) of Public Violence in Islamic Societies: Power, Discipline and the Construction of the Public Sphere, 7th-19th Centuries (EUP, 2009). Songul Mecit is a Part-time Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Edinburgh.


Book Information
ISBN 9780748639946
Author Christian Lange
Format Hardback
Page Count 328
Imprint Edinburgh University Press
Publisher Edinburgh University Press
Weight(grams) 1g