تاریخ اسلام و ایران (Apr 2024)

Khwarazmshahids’ religious policy towards Hanafism and its followers

  • Mohammad Kaviani Yeganeh,
  • Abbas Sarafrazi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.22051/hii.2024.47133.2929
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 34, no. 61
pp. 165 – 189

Abstract

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The Khwarazmshahids followed the Hanafi school of thought, which was also the predominant belief system among the majority of people living in their territory. What kind of policy did they pursue towards Hanafism? To answer this question, the Khwarazmshahid era was divided into five periods. Their policies in each period were evaluated on five parameters: behavior towards Hanafi people and clergy, relations with Hanafi rulers, appointment of Hanafis in political positions and establishment of religious institutes. The results show that in the period of obedience (1098-1136 A.D.) the Hanafipeople and clergy had security and welfare because of Muhammad and Atsiz to obedience for Sanjar. In the independence period (1136-1173) , the Hanafi people and clergy were attacked and insulted because of Atsiz’s arrogance towards Sanjar and Ilarsalan’s expansionism, although this hostility was political and in reality neutral. In the Empire-Establishing Period (1174-1201) the neutral policy was intensified in favor of the Shafiites following the conquest of Iraq, where the non-Hanafites were in the majority. In the Empire-Peak Period (1201-1221) because Sultan Muhammad's government wasn’t legitimized by the caliph and the non-Mutazilite Hanafites did not recognize his reign as legitimate thus the neutral policy converted at times to antagonism against Hanafites. Following the anarchy of the Post-Mongol Attack Period (1221-1231) the sultan’s sons tried to conquer part of the empire by any means necessary. Thus Qurshah and Pirshah allied themselves with Shafiites against the Hanafites but Jalal-al-Din, as the savior of Islam, implemented an Islamic unity policy and generally avoided supporting Hanafites. Since the Khwarazmshahids were mutazilites, they supported the mutazilite Hanafis in all periods except that of Jalal-al-Din. This study employs a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing a desk study methodology for data collection and analysis.

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