Political and Social Consequences of the Azariqah Rule in Kerman

Abstract

The Azariqah were a faction of the Kharijist who established a government in Sistan and Kerman based on Kharijist beliefs. The distinctive perspective of the Azariqah Kharijist on religion and governance led to the formation of a new style of Islamic government separate from Arab tribalism. This perspective attracted people in the areas under their control. The Azariqah's policy of tolerance towards other religions and Islamic sects, contrary to the harsh policies they had towards supporters of the caliphate's official religion, resulted in the coexistence of religions such as Zoroastrianism and minor Islamic sects with the Kharijist. This article, using a descriptive and analytical method, seeks to identify the social and political consequences of the Azariqah rule in the region of Kerman during the 7th and 8th centuries CE. The Azariqah Kharijist, who were distant from the center of the caliphate, turned Kerman into a center for activism and the propagation of their heterodox views. The discord between the people of Kerman and the caliphate, as well as the favorable geography of Kerman and Sistan for the Kharijist's needs and objectives, led to social and political changes concerning the interactions between Iranians and the caliphate apparatus.