This class investigates the praxis and representation of kingship in Islamic societies through the early modern period. It examines how pre-Islamic (and in particularly Iranian) notions and practices of political authority were creatively adapted within Islamic culture, with particular emphasis on how those notions changed over time in response to historical and social developments. Signicant topics include interactions between religious and political authorities, the patronage economy, and new discourses of legitimation after the decline of the caliphate.
Course Credits
3