The Central Asia under the Domination of Arabs and Turks: A Comparison of the Governmental System

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran

2 PhD Student of Regional Studies, University of Tehran

Abstract

Since the advent of Islam in Central Asia, several types of empires ruled on the region; the Arabs Empire (Umayyads and Abbasids), the Ghaznavid, the Seljuks, the Mongols, the Tatars, and the Russians. The Abbasids actual power did not last more than a century and a half and gradually independent states emerged at the eastern parts of the empire. The role of caliphate system was then limited and gave legitimacy to those states. In this article, the governance in two types of these empires has been compared. This research is based on primary sources, Persian classical texts, as well as researches on the mentioned dynasties. This article addresses the question: “what are the most important distinctions between the two empires?” Access of the Abbasids, Ghaznavids, and Seljuks to power, their administrative systems and militaries have been examined and compared. Three differences among their administrations, i.e., the degree of concentration in the empire, military force, and the plurality of the ministries, have been examined in the study.

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