The sparse historical data suggest that YaÊ¿qub b. Layth was the first Iranian ruler following the Arab-Islamic conquests to make significant efforts to revive Persian kingship. This article seeks to clarify, as far as possible, YaÊ¿qubâs actions and goals, as well as the context for his efforts. This interpretation of the sources argues that the Saffarid rulerâs government faced a crisis of social legitimacy owing to the tense relations that developed between YaÊ¿qub and the caliph on the one hand, and the nobles of Khorasan on the other. In this context, only in the last four years of his rule was YaÊ¿qub, in an effort to legitimate his power, forced to turn away from dependence on caliphal investiture and to appeal instead to a revival of Persian kingship (without the official use of the title âkingâ).
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The sparse historical data suggest that YaÊ¿qub b. Layth was the first Iranian ruler following the Arab-Islamic conquests to make significant efforts to revive Persian kingship. This article seeks to clarify, as far as possible, YaÊ¿qubâs actions and goals, as well as the context for his efforts. This interpretation of the sources argues that the Saffarid rulerâs government faced a crisis of social legitimacy owing to the tense relations that developed between YaÊ¿qub and the caliph on the one hand, and the nobles of Khorasan on the other. In this context, only in the last four years of his rule was YaÊ¿qub, in an effort to legitimate his power, forced to turn away from dependence on caliphal investiture and to appeal instead to a revival of Persian kingship (without the official use of the title âkingâ).
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1496 | 113 | 11 |
| Full Text Views | 95 | 13 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 207 | 25 | 0 |