Ali Aramjoo; Mohammad Ali Kazembeyki
Abstract
Sufism, which following the collapse of the Ilkhanate had gradually entered the social, economic, and political spheres, continued to play a significant role in these fields during the Uzbek domination on Transoxiana. Meanwhile, the Naqshbandiyya Tariqa was more important due to its spread and numerous ...
Read More
Sufism, which following the collapse of the Ilkhanate had gradually entered the social, economic, and political spheres, continued to play a significant role in these fields during the Uzbek domination on Transoxiana. Meanwhile, the Naqshbandiyya Tariqa was more important due to its spread and numerous followers. The influential Naqshbandi families, which had a large presence in the Timurids and Sheibanids periods, also maintained their influence, prestige, and close relations with the government during the Ashtarkhanid period. However, relations between the various Naqshbandi families and the Khans of Ashtarkhanids were not necessarily the same. The study of political actions and roles of Naqshbandi families and the factors affecting that in the Ashtarkhanids period has been the subject of the present study. According to the findings of this study, Naqshbandi sheikhs, showed a wide range of interaction and confrontation with the government, whilst they themselves were at the top of the pyramid of power for a short time. Mediation among rulers, military activity, and governance were some of the roles played by Naqshbandi sheikhs in the political arena of this period. The Sufi sheikhs' approach to the Khans was rooted in their local, family, and public interests. While the Naqshbandi families living in Bukhara, in the main seat of the Ashtarkhanian government, to maintain the status quo, were mainly looking for interaction and good relations with the Khans of the time, the Naqshbandi sheikhs of Samarkand, with the aim of changing the situation for the benefit of their state, often sided with the opponents of Bukhara.
