A Critical Study of the Position and Influence of the Ulema during the Mamluq Period (1206-1290 A.D.)

In this research paper a humble attempt has been made to see the status and contribution of the ulema during the Mamluq period (1206-1290 A.D.). To know the status and the contribution of ulema, we have available sufficient amount of contemporary Persian sources like Hasan Nizami’s-‘Taj-ul- Maassir’, MinhajSiraj’s –‘Tabaqat –i-Nasiri’, ZiauddinBarani’s ‘Tarikh-i-farojshahi’and ‘Fatwa-i-Jahandari etc. On the b1asis of these sources, we canstate that the ulema Constituted a very influential section of muslim society during the period under review. They were held in high esteem on account of their religious knowledge.

The ulema usually performed many functions. They were Jurists, scholars, teacher’s, reciters of the Qoran and functioners of the Mosques and so on. Besides this, during the period under review the uleme also contributed in the intellectual and literary field.

What role did play in contemporary polities? In this context, we get the information that Sultans of Delhi appointeduleme as a religions advisor because of their proficiency in Islamic knowledge. But in general, during the period under review the political influence of the ulema increased more during the weak and conservative Mamluq Sultans, but under the powerful Sultans, they remained with in proper limits.