Review

"This book is a deeply learned study of the government and society of Eastern Iran and Central Asia under Shahrukh (1409-1447), the son and successor of Tamerlane....This admirably researched book explores the historically events in exhaustive detail and provides rich anecdotal material about the policies and careers of the Timurid elites..." - Ira M. Lapidus, University of California Berkeley, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

"Beatrice Manz has become one of the premier scholars of Timurid Central Asia, and this book solidifies that well-earned reputation." - Canadian Journal of History

"Manz has minded all available sources, which are 'fragmentary, repetitious and tendentious' ...with consummate skill. The result is a book that is essential reading for all students of medieval and early modern Islamic societies." - International Journal of Middle East Studies

Product Description

Beatrice Forbes Manz uses the history of Iran under the Timurid ruler Shahrukh (1409-1447) to analyze the relationship between government and society in the medieval Middle East. She provides a rich portrait of Iranian society over an exceptionally broad spectrum - the dynasty and its servitors, city elites and provincial rulers, and the religious classes, both ulama' and Sufi. The work addresses two issues central to pre-modern Middle Eastern history: how a government without the monopoly of force controlled a heterogeneous society, and how a society with diffuse power structures remained stable over long periods. Written for an audience of students as well as scholars, this book provides the first broad analysis of political dynamics in late medieval Iran and challenges much received wisdom about civil and military power, the relationship of government to society, and the interaction of religious figures with the ruling class.