The Position and Duties of Local Judges in Mazandaran during the Seljuk Era Based on the Edicts of Seljuk Sultans
Keywords:
Judge, Seljuk, MazandaranAbstract
The structure of the judicial institution in Iran during the Seljuk period consisted of two components: customary (ʿurfī) and religious (sharʿī). Due to the predominance of tribal elements within this system, the customary branch held a particularly prominent position. From the outset, the Seljuks, by employing Iranian bureaucrats, sought to establish a powerful state, and within this framework, the judicial institution was among the most significant sectors that received their attention. The appointment of chief judges (qāḍī al-quḍāt) in Baghdad and the designation of chief judges across various regions of the empire indicate their serious determination to create a centralized system. In this context, examining the role of local judicial institutions as part of the empire’s efforts to expand its authority across its territories is of particular importance. Mazandaran, as one of the major provinces of the Seljuk state, attracted the attention of Seljuk sultans from the very beginning. Accordingly, the present study adopts a textual-analytical approach to investigate the role and position of local judicial institutions in Mazandaran during the period of the Great Seljuks, aiming to answer the following questions: What was the status of local judges? And what were the scope and nature of their duties? It appears that the direct appointment of officials such as the governor (wālī), chief (raʾīs), chief judge (qāḍī al-quḍāt), military commander (shaḥna), and market inspector (muḥtasib) by the royal institution, as the highest judicial authority of the empire, reflects the importance of these positions in local provinces. Furthermore, the duties specified and defined in the issued charters indicate the state’s efforts toward centralization and the expansion of justice.
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