MANAZIR JOURNAL

The Idea of the Just Ruler
in Persianate Art and Material Culture

edited by Negar Habibi

vol. 5 (2023)

 

Iranian kings, or those who reigned in Iranian lands, were inspired by the idea of the Just Ruler. A pious ruler looked after the divine, the spiritual life of his subjects as well as their earthly needs; he extended righteousness and peace among his people, but also patronized the construction of palaces, gardens and new towns. The idea of the just ruler, originating in pre-Islamic times, was improved and flourished in the Islamic era through the work of Iranian philosophers, poets, authors and artists.

This issue of Manazir Journal focuses on how art and architecture in the Iranian lands stretching from Central Asia to Eastern Anatolia illustrate the idea of the just ruler between the 14th and the 20th century. Book illustrations, architecture, photography and traditional crafts show how different kings and rulers, not necessarily of Iranian origin, sought to follow the ideal of the just ruler by patronizing new lavishly decorated constructions, richly illuminated books and—in the modern era—employing media such as photography and lithography for propagating the image of the king as the head of the nation.

 

Discover the full issue here.