مجله تاریخ و تمدن اسلامی
پیاپی 10 (پاییز و زمستان 1388)

Investigating biography and character of Khatun of Bukhara -who has been the only female ruler (Bukhara Khudat) of Bukhara, and was challenging at the same time with continuous Arab attacks and internal competitors- one can find valuable information about political and social life in Bukhara at that time. Despite its vagueness, the story
of Khatun's romantic relationship with an Arab commander, Sa‘id b. ‘Uthman, which is transmitted to us in a poem, is valuable literary and historically. Presenting a report of contemporary researcher's interpretations, and taking into consideration some historical events and lingual considerations, this article tries to give a new interpretation of this poem.

Throughout the history, scholars have had an influential role on the political life of societies. Being aware of their important role and position, rulers have deemed it necessary to have interaction with scholars, to get acceptability & legitimacy and to make the intellectual life of the society follow the state, in order to dominate society easily.
However, this interaction was not all the time beneficial for the state, but, sometimes, scholars’ confrontation with rulers led to their weakness and even their fall. This article investigates the interaction between the Umayyads and scholars, and indicates the establishment, goals and influences of some of these intellectual schools like Traditionists, Procrastinators (Murji’ites), Necessitarians and Freewillers (Qadarites), and demonstrates that these scholars have not acted in the same way: some of them were at Umayyad’s service, to justify their right to rule; while others criticized Caliphate, in general, and Umayyads’ Caliphate, in particular, which led to changes and developments in Islamic society.

This article is to survey an anonymous treatise entitled fi [Tawziḥ Ashkal] al-Usṭurlab al-Kuriy. The author, according to himself, was an astrolabe maker; therefore, his description of the spherical astrolabe is probably based on a sample made by him. On the basis of the comparison of this astrolabe with two other extant spherical astrolabes, and according to some evidences, authors of this article concluded that this treatise is written in late sixth and early seventh century. There are at least three reasons for this claim. Furthermore, this article examines some interesting points about the etymology of
astrolabe, its usage, etc.

Indicating how two European states, Aragon and Castile, started trade relationship with the East, this article is to investigate the causes of their trade contracts with Baybars, Mamluk Sultan of Egypt, and the effects of Pop Gregory X’s economic sanctions because of these trade relationships. Mongol’s domination of Asian main trade roads, and then, Ilkhanids’ hostility with Golden Horde led to insecurity of trade road from China to the Europe, and it was replaced by China-Europe marine trade route which was Red Sea-Mediterranean Sea, and was redoubled the importance of Mamluks due to their domination of some parts of this Marine route. Therefore, Aragon and Castile were
forced to improve their trade relationship with Baybars, in order to provide their needs from the Far East. Because of Aragon and Castile’s being in need of Baybars help, Pop’s economic sanctions had not any considerable effect on these trade relationships.

Due to different political, social and religious developments, from the fall of the Ilkhanids till the rise of the Safavids, majority of Sunnites began to decrease in Iran, and therefore Azerbaijan. By the time of the establishment of the Safavids, Azerbaijan was more susceptible to this religious shift. Apart from these developments, Azerbaijan’s rulers at
this time did not adopt fanatic policies to support Sunnites. Furthermore, the Jalayirids and the Qara Quyunlu indicated unanimity with Shi‘ites to the extent that they are considered as Shi’ite states. Presenting an image of the course of religious developments in Azerbaijan, this article is to clarify the formation of backgrounds of this religious shift in Azerbaijan of that time.

According to the scribe of its unique manuscript, the treatise entitled Kulliyat-i Yusufi, attributed to iya’uddin Yusuf, is written during Fatḥ‘ali Shah’s reign (1212-1250 A.H.). Despite its unoriginality, since very few numbers of Musical works are extant, this short treatise which indicates the continuity of writing works on music under Qajarids, is very important. The fact that there is a reference to the names of twelve musical model systems (dastgahs) at the end of the aforementioned treatise, shows an important turning point in the historical course of this concept. Like most of Safavid works on
music, this treatise uses the word Uṣul for the concept of rhythmic patterns in Music. The last chapter of this work on Uṣul has been divided to two parts. The first part, under the influence of Mir Ṣadruddin Qazvini (d. 1008 A.H.)’s work on music, commences with
the definition of the terms “Uṣul” and “Naqra”, and describes 5 old and 17 recent Dawrs, and finally different rhythmic genres. Second chapter, influenced probably by a treatise entitled Bahjat al-Rawḥ (written probably in the eleventh century) describes 24 rhythmic
dawrs.

Islamic historiography has been full of ups and downs, and has been affected by many social and historical parameters, to such an extent that some of these parameters, in the same way as a historical discourse, have created a historiographical era. Abdulḥusayn
Zarrinkub’s works on the history of Iran at first centuries of Islamic period were of great importance and authority in academies in Iran. Du Qarn Sukut, written in thirties (Persian calendar), his most famous work, presents a different account in comparison with Karnami-yi Islam, written in fifties. In his first account, Zarrinkub attacks the achievements of Islamic civilization in two first centuries, and considers Arab conquest as the reason of Persian’s misfortune; while in his second account, admires this civilization, and considers this encounter as a reason for flourishing and fruitfulness of both civilizations. This article tries to compare these two accounts of Islamic civilization, and examine the aforementioned contradiction hermeneutically.