Majd-al-Mulk Qumi's Ministry: Analysis of Khurasani-Iraqi Rivalry

The ministerial term of Khwajah Nizam al-Mulk Toosi and Sultan Malik-shah can be regarded as the golden age of the Seljuk Dynasty. However، the ruling system suffered an inherent deficiency، the rivalry between two bureaucratic groups affiliated with Khurasan and Iraq. To the end of his life، Nizam al-Mulk gave up power to his Iraqi dissidents leading to the elimination of his Khurasani advocates from power system. Nevertheless، the time-honored contest was resumed soon after Malik-shah''s death and the battle over his succession. During the kingdom of Barkiyaruq both groups continued their effort to seize power wherein Majd al-Mulk Qumi played a significant role as a pro-Iraqi bureaucrat. The current study is intended to explore the root causes of Iraqi-Khurasani rivalry during Majd al-Mulk''s administration. The findings of the study، which involved descriptive analysis of library resources، cast some doubt on assuming religious strife as the cause of rivalry، with power-seeking factor instead of playing the main role there.