Social Layers of Iran During the Mongol Era

Social Layers of Iran During the Mongol Era

Proficiency and expertise are of the main features of developed societies. That is, anybody knows his/her position and his/her responsibilities to other members of the society.  Thisacteristic has its roots, to a large extent, in history and culture of those societies, therefore; the richest the culture and history of a society, the more distinguished and defined its social strata and classes. In fact, different social classes of a society are defined according to its different professions. This is due to the fact that every class of the society undertakes a special part of social responsibilities. Iranian society, with its rich and long cultural record, has always been divided into numerous classes and strata. From these classes, there always have been some groups which, due to similarities among them, used to come together spontaneously and make a single group. But these groups were engaged in numerous alterations. In other words, they merged in to each other or one class divided into some different classes. Another type of theses alteration was when those groups approached or got away from each other due to similarities and differences. One of the periods during which those alterations showed off was when Tatars attacked Iran. Mongols, who were uncivilized tribes, caused social incongruity when they reached any civilized region. Iran was one of those regions. So Iran, compared with years before Mongols attack, witnessed radical alterations after their attack. Some of those alterations were institutionalized in Iranian society till centuries later and even today.Iran in Ilkhanid Period can be classified into three main classes. The first class, for the reason of religious texture of Iranian society, was Religious classes which contained the jurists (Foghahaa) and religious authorities, Sufis and Sayyeds (Saadaat). The Second middle class was comprised of Fatyan, s and merchants, architects, astronomers, physicians, and artists. And the last one consisted of classless classes like Errant (Ayyaran), prostitutes, geomancers and fortune-tellers, exorcists, thief and beggars. Nevertheless, excluding lower classes, all other social classes have had an approximately positive function and effect on Islamic civilization and culture, the explanation of which requires a separate research.

Shideh / N. Azimi, M. Sadeghani, H. Mirjafari