Nishapur, a western city in Khurasan, flourished between the 4/10th and 6/12th centuries as one of the central cities for intellectuals in the Islamic World. The author of the present article uses The Histories of Nishapur which were compiled between the latter half of the 4/10th century and the beginning of the 6/12th century in order to analyze quantitatively place names mentioned accounts of the academic careers of 2539 'ulama' contained in the Histories. In the analyses, he examines how changes occurred in the travel patterns of 'ulama', centering around Nishapur, between the 2/8th to 6/12th centuries, and traces the process of the establishment of Islamic knowledge in Nishapur and Khurasan. He also discusses the transition that took place in Nishapur's relations with other regions regarding the proliferation of that knowledge in the process of its development into an intellectual center. At the same time, he considers the background to and reasons why so much of city and local histories throughout the Islamic World between the 4/10th and 6/12th centuries is concerned with biographies of 'ulama'. The author finds that first, the establishment of Islamic knowledge in Nishapur and Khurasan at its early stage depended on the introduction of that knowledge from 'Iraq ; but, secondly, the activities of 'ulama' became more and more substantive in the region, depending on the development of its local establishment. Consequently, a tendency for the geographical extent of 'ulama' intellectual activities and knowledge proliferations limited to Khurusun proper appeared between the latter half of the 4/10th century and the latter half of the 5/11th century, the gradual localization of the 'ulama' activities and knowledge proliferation during the time when The Histories of Nishapur were compiled. Furthermore, it is possible to assume that the compilation of biographical city and local histories in many parts of Islamic World between the 4/10th and 6/12th centuries was greatly motivated by the progress taking place in the localization of Islamic knowledge in each region during that time, the difficulty in maintaining an inter-regional academic career information system and unity among 'ulama', and a recognition of the necessity for coping with such a situation.

抄録全体を表示

As earlyas the 3rd century A.H. (9th century A.D.), less than a century since paper making has spread to the Islamic world, an occupation known as warraq (pl. warraqun) was introduced. This term derives from the Arabic term waraq (paper). Warraq deals with entire process of book making. In biographical dictionaries of the time, we can see many people identified as warraq as his nisba (occupational title). For example, in Ta'rikh Baghdad of Khatib al-Baghdadi which contains 7831 individual biographies, there were 116 warraqun recorded in this material (approximately 1.48%). This proportion is similar to the figures recorded in katib (secretary, 127 persons, approximately 1.62%). Thus we must recognize their influence. The origin and the works of warraq in the 3-4th centuries (9-10th centuries) of Baghdad was examined by famous biographical dictionaries. The works of warraq consisted transcription, book making, selling books and paper. They came from native-born of Baghdad or immigrants from Khorasan also known for its producing of paper. Warraqun were active in Baghdad which was the center of culture those days, therefore they played an important role in the popularization process of the use of paper in the Islamic world. In Egypt, warraq was virtually unknown until the mid-4th century (mid-10th century), since Egypt was a papyrus producing district. But gradually paper drove out papyrus, and at the same time kaghadi (paper maker) took the place of qiratisi (papyrus maker). The knowledge of Islamic studies was a prerequisite for the works of warraq, therefore 'ulama' engaged in these tasks. Moreover it was a method for 'ulama' to gain income. In Baghdad, there were suq (bazar) al-warraqin where many intellectuals gathered in quest of information concerning new books and learnings. But after the 5th century (11th century), with the establishment of madrasa, no longer was it necessary for 'ulama' to work as warraq, for they were supported by the madrasa. On the other hand, paper become widespread throughout the Islamic world, the work of warraq was divided into several specialized tasks, such as transcription, bookbinding, painting, bookselling, paper selling and etc. Thus the name of warraq was no longer seen in historical materials.

抄録全体を表示

'Aziz Mahmud Huda'i is a sufi of the 16/17th century and the virtual founder of the Jilwatiyah Order. He wrote many treatises and poetry of mystical character both in Arabic and Ottoman Turkish. Seed of Love, written in Arabic, is a short treatise on mystical love. This work consists of three chapters, in each of which is discussed the love for God, the Prophet and the family of the Prophet. Each chapter begins with a verse concerning the subject of the chapter. He who loves God, the ultimate lover, necessarily loves the Prophet, the beloved of God. And he who loves the Prophet necessarily loves his family with whom he is tightly connected by blood and faith. On the other hand, he can love the Prophet and attain the love for God by loving his family. There are three kinds of human beings, i.e., the masses, the elite and the elite of elite. The masses are owners of lower soul, and their love has self-interested and temporary nature based on sensual delight and worldly benefit. The elite are owners of a heart, and their love is based on the beauty and the glory of God,but their piety still remains external and they haven't attained the union with God. The elite of elite are owners of spirit, and their love has a spiritual, essential and radical nature based on the eternal harmony of the spirits before the manifestation of the One, the ultimate principle of existence. Human beings can attain the love of God according to their degree of fana', i.e., fana' of deeds, attributes and self.

抄録全体を表示

In Islamic history, the practice of using slaves as soldiers plays an important role. The study of these slave soldiers hitherto has been done reflecting the model of the Mamluk army under the Mamluk dynasty. But there are many instances in the Abbasid period which do not stand up to the ones in the Mamluk period. We thereby need to reconsider the subject from the new point of view. Al-Mu'tasim, the eighth Abbasid Caliph, recruited a new army from various countries. This new army was composed of the following three regiments: (1)a slave army called al-Atrak, (2)al-Maghariba, including both slaves and freedmen, recruited from Egypt or other districts, and (3)an army made up of the rulers of some small districts in Ma Wara' An-Nahr and their people. Al-Atrak formed an independent unit from the other two regiments. But in spite of their being slaves, there is no evidence that they played a special role apart from the other two. Thus, we can say that al-Mu'tasim regarded al-Atrak as only one part of his new army, and he could not find any special meaning in the fact that they were slaves. To understand this character of al-Atrak, we must examine their situation after the death of al-Mu'tasim. First, we can point out their alternations of generations. Because of it, officers of the second generation became the army's leaders. Such exclusive interests, which resulted from the increasing power of influential officers, become fixed to some restricted families, and so they became ineffective as a caliphal army. The caliphs had lost the ability to control the political situation, for they had no system for buying other military slaves and no chance to form another army on their own. At the same time, under the influential officers, some special groups like ghulam, mawla, wuld, and hasham were formed as domestic groups. And they began to work as private military groups. These domestic groups also began to work as housekeeping groups, which looked after special interests of their masters, from estates and other possessions. As a result of this, these tendencies gave rise to a hierarchical gap between the influential officers and soldiers of al-Atrak who were called Dwellers of Karkh and Dwellers of Dur. These soldiers, displeased with their condition, severely criticized the exclusive landholdings and privileges of the officers, while al-Muwaffaq and his son, al-Mu'tadid, gained political power by employing of their own private military groups. Under the tendencies of increasingly large landholdings and the break up of the central army, these private military groups which were formed from domestic groups became more and more important. We must understand the establishment of a new army by al-Mu'tasim in relation to the formation of these groups, and the fact that the custom of using slaves as soldiers suddenly spread all over the Islamic world during this period must be, considered to have some relation to this formation.

抄録全体を表示