The Influence of Iranian Culture on the Culture of Muslim Arabs During the Umayyad Caliphate
Keywords:
Iranian culture, Umayyad Caliphate, bureaucracy, political culture, mawālī (non-Arab Muslim converts)Abstract
The Umayyad Caliphate represents one of the most significant periods in the political and cultural history of Islam, a period during which the Islamic realm expanded rapidly and a diverse society composed of various ethnicities and cultures emerged. Using a descriptive–analytical approach and drawing upon historical sources and contemporary scholarship, this study examines the influence of Iranian culture on the culture of Muslim Arabs during the Umayyad era. The findings indicate that despite the official Umayyad policy of privileging the Arab element, numerous Iranian cultural, administrative, and political institutions penetrated the structure of the government and Islamic society in practice. The transfer of bureaucratic institutions, the continuation of the Sasanian taxation system, the adoption of courtly traditions, and the influential role of Iranian secretaries and administrators were among the most prominent manifestations of this cultural influence. This cultural interaction contributed to the formation of a centralized model of governance within Islamic civilization. The significance of this issue lies in the fact that the Umayyad period constituted a transitional stage between the relatively simple caliphal tradition of early Islam and the more complex caliphal system that emerged in subsequent periods, particularly during the Abbasid Caliphate. Examining this period demonstrates how Iranian elements were absorbed, reinterpreted, and institutionalized within the framework of the Islamic Caliphate and highlights their role in shaping the civilizational model of Islam.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Mohammad Akhoundi (Author); Seyed Hassan Ghoreishi Karain (Corresponding Author); Hamid Reza Jadidi, Arman Forouhi (Author)
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