Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya (The Ordinances of Government), Abu al-Hasan al-Mawardi's classical eleventh century text, is the standard Sunni statement of the caliphal office, written after the Abbasid caliphs had already lost effective political power. Its strength is that it is the foundational primary text on the classical theory of the caliphate. Its limit is that it describes an idealized office rather than the political reality of Mawardi's own time, a gap the text's own historical context makes clear and a reader should keep in mind.
Facts
Assessment
Reliability Tier3
Al-Mawardi's Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya, the lower tier reflecting that it describes an idealized office rather than the political reality of Mawardi's own time, a gap the text's own historical context makes clear, weighed against its status as the foundational primary text on the classical Sunni theory of the caliphate. NotesThe classical Sunni statement of the caliphal office, written when the Abbasid caliphs had already lost effective power.
Citation
AuthorAbu al-Hasan al-Mawardi
Publication Year1058
Source Typeprimary-text
Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
This source names Sunni directly: "eleventh century text, is the standard Sunni statement of the caliphal office, written after the Abbasid caliphs had already lost effective political power."
Claims Backed By This Source (10 claims)
This source backs 10 claims across the atlas. As facts: 6 well-attested. As cited relationships: 1 holds. Plus 3 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.
Disposition By Topic
- Sources, 7 claims: 6 well-attested, 1 holds.
- Religious Organization & Structure, 1 claims: 1 general references.
- Religious Roles & Titles, 1 claims: 1 general references.
- Rituals, 1 claims: 1 general references.
General References
3Religious Organization & Structure
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