The Inquisition outside Baghdad

The Inquisition (miḥna) of al-Maʾmūn (d. 218/833) was a serious attempt to establish the caliph as arbiter of Islamic orthodoxy. It was actively prosecuted by the succeeding two caliphs, and finally abolished by his nephew, the caliph al-Mutawakkil, in 237/852. The most information we have about it...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of the American Oriental Society Vol. 141; no. 1; pp. 201 - 210
Main Author Melchert, Christopher
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Ann Arbor American Oriental Society 01.01.2021
Subjects
Brief Communications
Egypt
Governors
History
House arrest
Iraq
Islam
Muslims
Quran
Religious orthodoxy
Syria
Syria
Egypt
Iraq
Baghdad Iraq
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Summary:The Inquisition (miḥna) of al-Maʾmūn (d. 218/833) was a serious attempt to establish the caliph as arbiter of Islamic orthodoxy. It was actively prosecuted by the succeeding two caliphs, and finally abolished by his nephew, the caliph al-Mutawakkil, in 237/852. The most information we have about it by far is how it was carried out in Baghdad. Various sources, mostly biographical, also tell us something of its prosecution in Basra, Kufa, Damascus, Isfahan, Old Cairo (Fustat), and Qayrawan, surveyed here. These scattered data confirm that it was largely about bringing the emerging scholarly class under control. They may also indicate that the Inquisition was instituted not in 218 but already in 217/832-3.
ISSN:0003-0279
2169-2289
DOI:10.7817/jameroriesoci.141.1.0201