A Research on Iranian Officials of the Two Holy Shrines in the First and Second Age of the Abbasid Rule

With the decline of the Abbasid’s power which began as a result of the domination of the Turks and was known as the second age of the Abbasid rule, some Iranian dynasties such as the Tahirids and Saffarids who had been successful in forming a government in Iran, had secured positions such as becoming the operatives of the two holy shrines and had taken certain measures in the two shrines. In addition, in the first age of the Abbasids, some Iranian officials in the machinery of government such as Ḥasan ibn Sahl had connections with the two shrines and were influential in its developments. This study aims to identify these few individuals who lived during 132-334 AH, and to explore the positions which they held in the two shrines as well as the measures taken by them in these two Muslim spiritual centers. The method of this research is descriptive-analytical and the accumulation of information is documentary-oriented. The results show that in the second age of the Abbasids compared to the first age, prominent individuals among Iranians held positions in the two shrines and became the source of certain measures in these spiritual centers. However, in the first age when the Abbasids were powerful, they refused to appoint anyone except their relatives to certain posts.