The Karrāmiyya and Social Situation of Khurasan during the Ghaznavid Period

The Karrāmiyya sect, which emerged in the third century AH, grew in the Ghaznavid period as a result of several factors, and affected the social life of Khurasan. This papaer investigates the social consequences of the Karrāmiyya’s activities in Khurasan during the time of Ghaznavid Sultans, and reviews the causes and factors of the growth of them. This article shows that the social status of Karrāmiyya as well as the crisis of the legitimacy of the Ghaznavid rule during the time of Sultan Mahmūd provided the basis for their cooperation. Using social-educational institutions such as school and khanakah, Karrāmiyya’s leaders propagated their sect and published their sect among the groups of businessmen, and government agents. In fact, the system of social stratification of Khurasan was broken by Karrāmiyya and they competed with the followers of other religions and influential groups in Khurasan to seize economic resources, social and administrative positions. This competition led to the creation of the first religious requisition in the history of Khurasan.