The Impact of Urban Iranian Culture on the Administrative Structure of Muʿāwiya’s Government (A Study of the Dīwāns)

Abstract

The Sasanian dynasty, as one of the most powerful Iranian dynasties, ruled for nearly four centuries. The administrative organization of this dynasty possessed distinctive characteristics, such that after its collapse, its cultural and administrative elements exerted a substantial influence on the governmental structures of the early Islamic centuries, particularly on the court of Muʿāwiya. The Sasanian court, like the golden age of the Achaemenids, enjoyed great majesty, splendor, and a distinguished status. The ancient legacy of this dynasty’s administrative system, despite various invasions, preserved its identity and continued to shape the administrative structure of governments in the Islamic period. It can be stated that Muʿāwiya was the first ruler in the Islamic era who, in imitation of the courts of the kings of Iran and Rome, appointed and employed bodyguards and chamberlains, established specialized bureaus for the administration of civil and military affairs, constructed palatial buildings, and, contrary to the austere lifestyle of the early caliphs, adopted a life of luxury and courtly indulgence. This study, using a descriptive–analytical method, seeks to examine the impact of the administrative elements of the Sasanian period on the government of Muʿāwiya. The central question of the research is: What were the reasons for Muʿāwiya’s inclination toward adopting the administrative institutions of the Sasanian era, and which dīwāns were most influenced by Iranian administrative elements?