Interaction between Intellectual and Political Life under the Umayyads

Subject Areas : The Journal of Islamic History and Civilisation

پروین Torkaman Azar ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2009-04-22 Accepted : 2009-06-02 Published : 2010-02-20

Keywords: Umayyads, Traditionists, Procrastinators (Murji’ites), Necessitarians, Free-willers (Qadarites),

Abstract :

Throughout the history, scholars have had an influential role on thepolitical life of societies. Being aware of their important role andposition, rulers have deemed it necessary to have interaction withscholars, to get acceptability & legitimacy and to make the intellectuallife of the society follow the state, in order to dominate society easily.However, this interaction was not all the time beneficial for the state,but, sometimes, scholars’ confrontation with rulers led to theirweakness and even their fall. This article investigates the interactionbetween the Umayyads and scholars, and indicates the establishment,goals and influences of some of these intellectual schools likeTraditionists, Procrastinators (Murji’ites), Necessitarians and Freewillers(Qadarites), and demonstrates that these scholars have notacted in the same way: some of them were at Umayyad’s service, tojustify their right to rule; while others criticized Caliphate, in general,and Umayyads’ Caliphate, in particular, which led to changes anddevelopments in Islamic society.