Early Seljuk Encounters and Their Economic Impact on Khurasan’s Urban Centers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student in Islamic History, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of History, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of History, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

10.22103/jic.2025.23907.1355

Abstract

The urban economy of the cities of Khorasan was a historical and established phenomenon, which was famous for its prosperity and dynamism for many centuries. However, this urban structure was seriously challenged in the face of the Seljuk Turks, and it was subjected to raids and looting by nomadic Turkish tribes. The alienation of nomadic Turks from the mechanisms of the urban economy and its requirements and requirements played a major role in the decline of the urban economy in Khorasan. Although the rise of the Seljuqs helped to facilitate relations between the East and the West of Iran from one point of view, the lifestyle based on looting affected many of their actions towards the economy of Khorasan. In fact, the requirements of the urban economy in the cities of Khorasan were not a phenomenon that was attractive to the Seljuk Turks.The question of this research is how did the confrontation of Seljuk Turkish clans with the cities of Khorasan bring the urban economy of these cities to stagnation? The hypothesis is that the predominance of values ​​based on looting in the world of Ili quickly destroyed the productive, economic and commercial power of the cities of Khorasan. Therefore, a series of violent, indifference and slander to the civilizational manifestations of the cities, suspending the bureaucratic institutions, capturing and destroying the production capacity of the cities, extensive looting of goods, as well as non-commitment and adherence to the economy based on production. fueled the decline of urban economic

Keywords


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