Machiavelli's thought and Tarikh-i Beyhaqi

Document Type : مروری

Abstract

The valuable book of Tarikh-i Beyhaqi is very important in terms of cultural and sociological studies because it contains cultural and social hints scattered throughout its narrations. Because these points reflect the details of social life in 5th century Iran. One of the valuable aspects of Tarikh-i Beyhaqi is the explanation and description of the management and statecraft of the Ghaznavid sultans, especially Sultan Mas’ud, with an analytical and critical approach. In terms of interdisciplinary studies, this feature has given Tarikh-i Beyhaqi a special value among the historical works of the 5th and 6th centuries of Hijri. Considering that in today's world, the foundation of the political management ideas of Western countries and most other nations is largely influenced by the ideas and thoughts of Niccolo Machiavelli, the famous Italian politician and writer (died 1527) and his ideas from the Renaissance onwards , has become very important, the author of this article aims to compare Mas’ud Ghaznavi's management behaviors and statecraft methods with Machiavelli's ideas and theories, using the descriptive-analytical method and referring to the contents of the book Tarikh-i Beyhaqi and the important works of Niccolo Machiavelli. Based on the results of this research, Mas’ud's methods are consistent with Machiavelli's recommendations in more than half of the cases.

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