Rituals of Islamic monarchy

By Andrew Marsham

Book Description

This scholarly exploration delves into the sacred ceremonies that established divine authority in early Islamic civilization. Andrew Marsham traces the evolution of the oath of allegiance, a pivotal ritual through which caliphs were recognized as God's representatives on earth during their accession to power.

Beginning with pre-Islamic Arabian traditions, the study follows the development of formal Islamic monarchical ceremonies across Syria and Iraq from the 7th through 9th centuries. Marsham reveals how Islamic leaders crafted their legitimacy by weaving together Roman and Iranian royal customs with practices rooted in pre-Islamic and early Islamic Arabia, creating a unique synthesis of spiritual and political authority.

The work examines how these rituals served as powerful declarations of divine covenant, demonstrating the intricate relationship between earthly leadership and spiritual mandate in Islamic political culture. Through careful analysis of historical sources, including the Qur'an as a window into the Prophet Muhammad's era, Marsham reconstructs the ceremonial practices that shaped classical Islamic governance.

By studying original documents used in actual accession ceremonies alongside detailed source readings, this investigation illuminates how central institutions of Islamic political culture were invented and continuously reinvented. The book offers readers insight into the profound ways spiritual authority was expressed through ritual, ceremony, and the formal recognition of divine appointment in early Islamic society.