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Explanation and analysis of the religions of the people of Khuzestan during the Abbasid Caliphate era

Document Type : pajoheshi

Authors

1 Department Of History, Maha.c., Islamic Azad University, mahallat, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Iranology, Faculty of Humanities, Meybod University, Meybod, Iran

10.30473/lhst.2026.75914.3018

Abstract

A B S T R A C T
During the Abbasid era (656-132 AH), Khuzestan, as a key region in Iran, was religiously diverse and a place of convergence and interaction of different religions. This research, based on early sources and with a historical method and a descriptive-analytical approach, has identified and analyzed the religions prevalent in Khuzestan and sectarian movements. We seek to answer the question: What role did the major religions of the Islamic world play in the political, social, and cultural transformations of this region in the geography of Khuzestan? The research findings show that the majority of the people followed the Sunni religion, especially the Hanafi and Shafi'i schools, which were strengthened under the influence of the policies of the Abbasid Caliphate. However, Shiism gradually spread among Arab tribes and urban communities such as Ahvaz and Shushtar. Other Shiite groups such as Zaidi and Ismaili had a social and cultural life with limited influence in parts of Khuzestan. Also, the Abbasid religious policies, especially the support for theological schools such as the Mu'tazilites and the opposition to Shiite movements such as the Zaydi, affected the religious atmosphere of Khuzestan. These policies sometimes met with resistance from local groups. The life of various religions in Khuzestan, while coexisting, was sometimes accompanied by social and political challenges and crises that stemmed from issues such as religious-cultural differences between urban and rural groups. Religious interaction and confrontation in Khuzestan during the Abbasid era not only led to the growth and intellectual and theological competition between different religions, but also ultimately helped strengthen the region's religious identity and its cultural prosperity.

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References
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Research Journal of Iran Local Histories
Volume 14, Issue 27 - Serial Number 27
October 2026
Pages 101-116
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