Dean of the College Presents
Jurisdiction Matters in Mongol Iran: Law and Reality
Friday, February 26, 2021
Online Event
10:00 am – 11:30 am EST/GMT-5
10:00 am – 11:30 am EST/GMT-5
Edith Chen
Ph.D. Candidate Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University
After the Mongol conquests, we witnessed what would appear to be a “clash” of legal customs as unbelieving rulers came to rule over a majority-Muslim population in 13th century Iran. This triggered a debate among Muslim jurists, who disagreed on whether a land occupied for foreigners could still be counted as “dār al-islām”. However, some Hanafi jurists at this time redefined the terms that would allow occupied territories to still be considered as Islamic lands by insisting that what mattered was that certain features of Islamic life were allowed to continue, such as prayer, celebrating the feast days, and maintaining an Islamic judiciary. This line of reasoning was adopted by 19th century Indian social reformers for its application to British India. However, they would be challenged by Hanbali jurists, whose narrow definition of what constitutes “dār al-islām” would have reverberations during the modern period.Ph.D. Candidate Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University
Using Persian local history, I argue that the state of self-rule in the Muslim vassal states in southern Iran (Fars, Shabankara, Kirman, Yazd) helped explain why Hanafi jurists during this period adopted their particular style of reasoning to permit a looser definition for what constitute “dār al-islām” even when under a government of unbelievers. I explore the evolution of this issue in Hanafi law from the founder Abu Hanifa’s time, its development during the 11-13th centuries when the Islamic lands in Transoxiana began to experience invasions from the steppes, and the definition that ultimately emerged in 19th century India. Within the semi-autonomous states, Mongol law or yasa had a very limited presence. This separation of jurisdiction created a scenario where Islamic life was allowed to continue and flourish during the decades before the Ilkhanid rulers converted to Islam.
Meeting ID: 883 4741 3127
Passcode: 006784
For more information, call 845-758-6822, e-mail [email protected],
or visit https://bard.zoom.us/j/88347413127?pwd=VHhYaEVMZlJ1d3c3bDlrOGZwZ0U2Zz09.
Time: 10:00 am – 11:30 am EST/GMT-5
Location: Online Event