Document Type : .

Authors

• Ali Bahranipour ¹
• sajad kazemi ²

¹ Department History Faculty Litereature and Humanities, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran

² Department History, Faculty Litereature and humanities, University Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

One of the most important religious sects that influenced the political and social situation of Great Khorasan during the 3rd to 6th centuries AH, was the Karamiya sect attributed to Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Karam Sistani (died 255 AH). They experienced the most important period of their political elevation especially in connection with the Ghaznavid government. Karamians, who were famous for asceticism, frugality, contentment, and economic austerity, during the first Ghaznavid period, clearly aligned with the government's economic policy, turned to extortion, bribery, and confiscation of opponents' property. This research, with the method of historical description and analysis, seeks to answer this question, what were the reasons for the change of Karamian's point of view from sanction of Kasb to economic activities and earning livelihood? The findings in this regard show that the Karamians and their followers did not always have a common economic point of view. Non-obligation as well as pretense and tolerance in religious foundations, the nature of the social base of the followers of this sect consisting of the lower classes of the society as well as urban merchants and artisans who themselves believed in business and also as a result of the political opportunity that some Ghaznavid sultans gave to Karamiya leaders according to their own interests, it actually changed their economic outlook and their social and political position. Besides, they played an effective role along with the Ghaznavid sultans in confiscating the property of the opponents as an economic policy and one of the sources of irregular income of the Ghaznavids. From this point of view, the Ghaznavids' support of the Karamians was not influenced by economic motives.

Keywords

• Karamiya
• Economic
• Kasb
• Confiscation of Property
• Ghaznavid