Central structure and political hierarchy in the Abbasid State (H. 334-363)

Driven by a desire to gain more knowledge about the history of the Abbasid State and fueled by our scientific curiosity about history, we undertook this research titled "(The Central Structure and Hierarchical Political Order of the Abbasid Caliphate)" covering the years AH 334-363 / CE 946-974. The selection of this topic was motivated not only by scientific and personal interest but also by genuine scientific necessity. There remains a need for further exploration of the Buyid intervention and the Abbasid Caliphate's weaknesses during this period. In particular, more information is required about the structure of roles within the Abbasid palace and the officials surrounding Caliph Al-Mutī' Li-llah and their roles in state administration. This necessitated a deeper examination of these roles, their duties, and their interactions with the public. Our findings reveal that the Buyids completely dominated the central structure of the state. In the introduction, the first chapter presents an in-depth examination of the central structure of the Abbasid Caliphate during Al-Mutī'-Lillâh's reign. The hierarchical distribution of duties in the Abbasid Palace, from the caliph at the top to the lowest-ranking palace official, was meticulously analyzed. This period holds significant importance in Abbasid history due to the Buyid influence on the government. In the second and third chapters, we examined the hierarchical order within the Abbasid Palace and how the Buyid emirs maintained complete control by being close to the caliph. The study also covered various officials such as heirs, scribes, viziers, high-ranking officers, judges, police chiefs, and even heads of various bureaus. Their appointments and dismissals were under the control of the Buyid emir. Some positions were even filled by the emir's sons, giving them insight into the caliph's secrets and affairs. Also, the fourth chapter discussed other officials, including the caliph's personal doctors and astrologers. The caliph's doctor played a role similar to that of a personal guard, responsible for the caliph's health. Astrologers also had a place in the Abbasid Palace and were close to the Caliph. Furthermore, the fifth and final chapter detailed the processes of appointment and dismissal of the Abbasid Palace personnel, including appointment policies, actions taken following dismissals, exile, imprisonment, and confiscation of property. To conclude ,our research concluded that the Buyids had complete control over the central structure of the state, from the caliph to the high-ranking officials. This control allowed them to use all positions for their own interests and to increase their power, effectively creating a state within the Abbasid Caliphate. They shared even the caliph's powers, such as minting coins and announcing prayer times with drums, while maintaining the caliph only symbolically to preserve their standing in the public eye. This weakened the caliph's personality and prestige, enabling the Buyids to retain all authority. In our study, we adopted a historical, descriptive, and analytical research method. This approach involved gathering various narratives and sources to serve the study's purpose effectively.