Journal Of Islamic Denominations

Journal Of Islamic Denominations

Investigating the Impact of Būyid Religious Policy on the Religious and Doctrinal Developments of Khūzistān (322-447 AH / 934-1055 CE)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Sajad Papi 1
Ali Bahranipour 2
Bahador ghayem 3
1 Ph.D. Candidate in Post-Islamic Iranian History, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 Professor, Department of History, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of History, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
10.22034/jid.2025.545128.2596
Abstract
During the early Islamic centuries, particularly under the Būyid dynasty (r. 322-447 AH / 934-1055 CE), Khūzistān possessed an exceptional degree of religious and sectarian diversity. In that period, adherents of various Islamic schools—including the Muʿtazilī theological school, different Sunni jurisprudential traditions, and Shīʿī groups—alongside followers of non-Islamic religions such as Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, and Mandaean Sabians, had a significant presence in Khūzistān. Adopting an analytical approach, this study seeks to answer the following question: What impact did the religious policy of the Būyid government have on the situation of the aforementioned religious and sectarian communities in Khūzistān? The findings of the research indicate that Būyid religious policy was founded upon tolerance and forbearance, and beyond that, on the inclusion of followers of various religions and sects within their governance structure. The adherents of different religions and sects present in Khūzistān were no exception to this principle. The continuation of the flourishing period of the Muʿtazilī theological school, the strengthening of the political, social, and cultural position of the Shīʿa, the absence of any policy aimed at weakening the Sunnis, and the inclusion of the ahl al-dhimmah (protected religious minorities) in the Būyid administrative system are among the most significant effects of the tolerant religious approach of the Būyids in fourth/tenth-century Khūzistān.
Keywords
Khūzistān
Būyids (Āl-e Būyeh)
Religious Tolerance
Religious Developments
Religious Policy
Subjects
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