The Relationship between Religion and State in the Seljuk Society: The Socio- cultural Tension between Ideologies of Nizām al-Mulk and the Abbasid Caliphate

Abstract

Ideology and politics in the society and history (including the Seljuk era) are in close relationship. The ideological history of the Seljuk era and more importantly ideologies of Nizām al-Mulk have long been a complicated historical issue as a result of ignoring historical dynamicity of ideologies and the issues related to their culture and identity. This has also led to misleading interpretations in the whole historiography of the Seljuk era. The present paper, using hermeneutic analysis, studies the relationship between religion and state in the religious-political tension of the Seljuk dynasty and Abbasid Caliphate in the fifth century. Moreover, the main points in the ideology of Nizām al-Mulk which were at cultural conflict with Abbasid Caliphate’s Arabian ideology will be elaborated on.

Keywords

• Seljuks
• Abbasids
• Ideology
• Hanbali
• Shafii