State-Building from Below: An Analysis of the Role of Subaltern Social Groups in the Formation of the Saffarid Government Based on the Subaltern Studies Approach

Abstract

In this study, using the framework of Subaltern Studies and based on the theoretical perspectives of Ranajit Guha and Partha Chatterjee, the role of lower social groups such as ayyars (urban militias), Kharijites, and subaltern urban and rural strata in the process of Saffarid state formation in Sistan is examined. Contrary to traditional narratives that view the emergence of states as the product of elite actions and central powers, this article—emphasizing the concept of “state-building from below”—demonstrates that the Saffarids not only emerged from subaltern classes but also consolidated and expanded their rule through the coalition and support of these groups. The main research question is: how did subaltern social groups contribute to the formation, consolidation, and expansion of the Saffarid power, and what similarities and differences can be observed between this experience and other contemporary regional independent states? The research method is a historical-sociological analysis with a descriptive-analytical approach, relying on library sources and correlating data with the theoretical concepts of Subaltern Studies. The findings indicate that the ayyars and Kharijites, by forming popular networks, local resistance movements, and mobilizing social resources, not only elevated the Saffarids from subaltern strata to rulership but also established a new model of state-building based on social movements and peripheral resistance—a model that, compared to elite-driven contemporaneous states, possessed unique dynamics and vulnerabilities. The key points of the study emphasize the importance of subaltern actors, local identity, and the critique of centralist narratives of state formation.