Tahqiqāt-e Târix-e Eqtesâdi (Economic History Studies of Iran)

sword and pen debates; A reading of social issues in the Ilkhanid era; Based on Wasaf Shirazi's Shamsher and Pen treatise

Document Type : .

Author

Mahboubeh Sharafi

Associate Professor / Department of History / Faculty of Humanities / Islamic Azad University,Centeral Tehran Branch/ Tehran / Iran

https://doi.org/10.30465/sehs.2023.46008.1932
Abstract
Extended abstract
 
In this article, we examine socioeconomic matters within the context of Ilkhanid-era political literature, focusing on Vassaf Shirazi's treatise, "Tīḡ va Qalam." This work epitomizes the political debate genre of its time and necessitates a multifaceted analysis. Through the exploration of the treatise, which centers on the conflict between military forces, symbolized by the blade (Tīḡ), and bureaucratic elites, represented by the pen (Qalam), the following questions arise: How are the socioeconomic challenges, resulting from land transfers and the exchange of state responsibilities for services under a military feudalism framework, depicted within the text? Additionally, what potential resolutions are proposed to address these issues, and how are they conceptualized and portrayed within the treatise?
Based on the historical explanatory approach, our research hypothesis posits that during the final decades of the Ilkhanid era, military personnel expanded their economic roles beyond traditional military duties by receiving land and occasional provincial governance from the Ilkhan in exchange for their services through the iqta' system. The conflict between the sword and the pen, as presented by Vassaf, elucidates the deep divisions and fractures within the Ilkhanid governance under the emerging class of military landholders, as well as its influence on social crises and issues. Ultimately, this examination seeks to shed light on potential solutions that were proposed to surmount these challenges.
The death of Ghazan and the subsequent relaxation of oversight over military landholders led to the iqta policy's consolidation of the military landholding aristocracy's power. This development weakened central authority and significantly augmented the faction's influence within the Ilkhanid government. The resultant imbalance posed an escalating threat that significantly contributed to the decline and eventual collapse of Mongol rule. Moreover, it engendered social unrest, political instability, and heightened insecurity throughout Iran.
Additional research findings suggest that Vassaf's motivations for penning the treatise "The Sword and the Pen" were multi-faceted. Key objectives included reducing the threat posed by the increasingly powerful Mongol military aristocracy and their decentralizing inclinations, bolstering the theory of Iranian-style kingship, and advocating for centralized governance under the sovereign's authority. By curtailing the dominance of the decentralized Mongol military aristocracy, Vassaf sought to mitigate social harm and maintain the cohesion of the Ilkhanid state. However, these dynamics ultimately contributed to the fragmentation of the state, paving the way for the emergence of new governing entities and dynasties such as the Jalayirids, Chobanids, Togha-Teimurs, Jani-Qurbanis, and others that managed to seize power and establish control.

Keywords

Ilkhanan
landlord. social collapse
Shamshiro Qalam treatise
Wasaf Shirazi
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Tahqiqāt-e Târix-e Eqtesâdi (Economic History Studies of Iran)
Volume 13, Issue 1 - Serial Number 25
September 2024
Pages 121-138

  • Receive Date 02 July 2023
  • Revise Date 21 July 2023
  • Accept Date 29 July 2023

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