Discussion around adresse of the ahd-nama from the era of the Anushteginid
Keywords:
Tekesh, ahd-nama, Togan-shah, Kutlug-Inanch, Togrul IIIAbstract
The scholarly debate surrounding the addressee of the written oath of allegiance (ahd-nama) from Baha al-Din Muhammad al-Baghdadi’s collection of exemplary documents «At-tawassul ila at-tarassul» continues. This ahd-nama is comprehensively analysed for the first time using comparative historical analysis, contextualisation, and source study methods. The document’s structure and content are examined in detail, revealing the system of mutual obligations between overlord and vassal, and its terms are compared with those of Tekesh’s contemporaries. Based on a meticulous study of Muslim sources, numismatic data, and official correspondence, a new hypothesis regarding the addressee of this ahd-nama is put forward and substantiated. The most likely addressee is considered to be Togan-shah, the ruler of Nishapur, whose political relations with the Khorezmshah Tekesh between 1181 and 1183 were marked by a series of conflicting events. They most closely correspond to the realities described in the document. A new, compellingly argued version of attribution is proposed, demonstrating the continuity of clerical traditions from the Seljuk era to the Anushteginid era.
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