Hisbah Institution in Ilkhanid era

Cities of Iran, during the seventh century (A.H), enjoyed relative prosperity before their devastation by Mongol invasion. Battles with the nomadic people of Mongol blocked the former growth and prosperity of these cities. Besides destroying the economic basis of big cities, the urban life and civil relations underwent profound changes in the Ilkhanid era.The Ilkhanids, during an era of their governance,practiced a different religion than that of their due subjects. Thereby, institutions that previously hadreligious functions and duties in the society were damaged profoundly. For instance, Hisbahinstitution, which was responsible for enforcing Islamic law, experienced a period of Fetratuntil a MuslimIlkhan was put in charge of it. The period of Fetrat took a long time and reached its end when Gazan Khan converted to Islam. Gazan and his advisor, Khaje Rashid Aldin, tried to enforce the Islamic law and restore the society to its previous status. Therefore, they brought about many reforms and enforced new rules based on Islamic traditions. They made Hisbah responsible for performing such duties. However, the findings of this study show that despite significant supports from the government, especially after the issuance of decrees and regulations, the Hisbah failed to reach remarkable success in implementation of the rules.