Medieval Iran: Sultans, Saints, and Steppe Lords from the Arab Conquest to the Timurid Renaissance
From the ruins of the Sassanid Empire to the magnificent courts of Timurid Herat, Medieval Iran tells the full, gripping story of one of history's most consequential civilizations - a world where Islamic faith, Persian genius, and nomadic power collided across six centuries of transformation.
What this book covers:
- The Arab conquest of Iran and the collapse of Sassanid Persia
- The Abbasid Revolution and Iran's pivotal role in shaping Islamic civilization
- The Iranian Intermezzo - the Tahirid, Saffarid, and Samanid dynasties that restored Persian political power
- The rebirth of the Persian language through the epic poetry of Ferdowsi
- The Buyids, the Ghaznavids, and the Great Seljuks - the dynasties that defined medieval Islamic Iran
- The Ismaili Assassins of Alamut and their war against Sunni orthodoxy
- The intellectual world of Omar Khayyam: mathematics, astronomy, Sufism, and skepticism
- The Mongol invasion and its devastating impact on Iranian society and culture
- The Ilkhanid successor state and Iran's remarkable post-Mongol recovery
- Tamerlane's conquests and the dazzling Timurid Renaissance that followed
Perfect for readers of: Islamic history · Persian history · Medieval history · Middle Eastern history · World history · History of religion · History of science and philosophy
Written with authority and narrative drive, Medieval Iran is an essential history for anyone seeking to understand the Islamic world, the roots of Persian culture, and the forces that shaped the medieval Middle East. This is the story of a civilization that endured conquest, catastrophe, and reinvention - and emerged more resilient each time.
A landmark work of medieval Islamic and Persian history.