The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam: Negotiating Ideology and Religious Inquiry - Paperback

by Omid Safi (Author)

The eleventh and twelfth centuries comprised a period of great significance in Islamic history. The Great Saljuqs, a Turkish-speaking tribe hailing from central Asia, ruled the eastern half of the Islamic world for a great portion of that time. In a far-reaching analysis that combines social, cultural, and political history, Omid Safi demonstrates how the Saljuqs tried to create a lasting political presence by joining forces with scholars and saints, among them a number of well-known Sufi Muslims, who functioned under state patronage.

In order to legitimize their political power, Saljuq rulers presented themselves as champions of what they alleged was an orthodox and normative view of Islam. Their notion of religious orthodoxy was constructed by administrators in state-sponsored arenas such as madrasas and khanaqahs. Thus orthodoxy was linked to political loyalty, and disloyalty to the state was articulated in terms of religious heresy.

Drawing on a vast reservoir of primary sources and eschewing anachronistic terms of analysis such as nationalism, Safi revises conventional views both of the Saljuqs as benevolent Muslim rulers and of the Sufis as timeless, ethereal mystics. He makes a significant contribution to understanding premodern Islam as well as illuminating the complex relationship between power and religious knowledge.

Front Jacket

Safi examines the rule of the Great Saljuqs, a Turkish-speaking people from central Asia, who, in the 11th century, established rule over the eastern half of the Islamic world that lasted for 150 years. In an analysis that combines social, cultural, and political history, Safi examines the Saljuqs' efforts to create a lasting political presence by joining forces with scholars and saints who functioned under state patronage. He revises conventional views of the Saljuqs as benevolent Muslim rulers and of the Sufis as timeless, ethereal mystics.

Author Biography

Omid Safi is director of Duke University's Islamic Studies Center. He is the past Chair for the Study of Islam, and the current Chair for Islamic Mysticism Group at the American Academy of Religion. He is author or editor of several books, including Memories of Muhammad.