If you have walked through a university campus with dorms, a canteen and a library, you already know the idea Nizam al-Mulk put into practice nearly a thousand years ago. He was the vizier who ran the Great Seljuk state, and he left behind both a network of schools and a book on how to rule.
Who was Nizam al-Mulk?
Nizam al-Mulk was a Persian statesman. He served as vizier of the Great Seljuk State under two sultans, Alp Arslan and Malik-Shah.
His given name was Abu Ali Hasan ibn Ali ibn Ishaq al-Tusi. That is why searches for “Nizam al-Mulk Tusi” lead to the same man. The name points to Tus, a city in Khorasan.
He was born on 10 April 1018 in Radkan, a village that belonged to Tus.
What does “Nizam al-Mulk” mean?
The title is explained in Turkish as “the order of the state.” It was a title, not his birth name. Think of it as a job description that became a name.
Early life: from Tus to Ghazna
His father, Ali ibn Ishaq, was an official who held financial posts for the Ghaznavids. So Nizam al-Mulk grew up close to the paperwork of a state.
After the Battle of Dandanakan in 1040, he followed his father to Ghazna. There he took his first state post.
The vizier of Alp Arslan and Malik-Shah
The TDV Islam Ansiklopedisi dates his appointment as vizier, in place of Kunduri, to 7 December 1063. From then on he served the Seljuk court.
In 1072 Alp Arslan died. Nizam al-Mulk backed Malik-Shah’s accession to the throne.
The relationship between the two men was close. Malik-Shah addressed him as “father,” because of their closeness and because Nizam al-Mulk taught him.
The Nizamiyya madrasas
The madrasas he founded are called the Nizamiyya. They had two aims: to strengthen Sunni teaching and to train officials for the state.
The Baghdad Nizamiyya opened on 22 September 1067 on the east bank of the Tigris. In 1091 Nizam al-Mulk appointed al-Ghazali as a professor there.
A common claim says the Nizamiyya were the first madrasas in Islamic history. The TDV rejects that claim, because older madrasas existed.
The Siyasatnama, or Book of Government
This is the answer to the searches “Nizam al-Mulk Siyasatnama” and “Nizam al-Mulk Book of Government.” The work is also known as Siyar al-Muluk. It is a book on how to run a state, prepared for Sultan Malik-Shah.
According to the Encyclopaedia Iranica, the first 39 chapters were prepared between 1086 and 1091.
The book works through historical stories. They deal with justice, effective rule and the duties of the bureaucracy. It reads less like a theory text and more like a collection of lessons from the past.
Books and translations
If you search for “Nizam al-Mulk books,” the Siyasatnama is the work to know. Hubert Darke translated it from Persian as The Book of Government or Rules for Kings. Yale University Press published his English version in 1960.
One reliable manuscript is kept in the Suleymaniye Library in Istanbul. It is in the Molla Celebi collection under number 114.
How did Nizam al-Mulk die?
Nizam al-Mulk was killed on 14 October 1092 at Sahna, near Nihavand. His killer was Abu Tahir-i Arrani, a Batini fidai.
The attack happened during his journey from Isfahan to Baghdad.
Who assassinated Nizam al-Mulk, and who ordered it?
The man who struck is known. The question of who stood behind him is not settled.
Accounts claim the plot was ordered by Malik-Shah, by Terken Khatun, or by Hasan Sabbah. Some sources report that Malik-Shah denied any involvement under oath.
So you should treat any single-culprit story with caution. The sources disagree.
His tomb is in Isfahan, Iran.
Timeline
- 1018: Born in Radkan, in the district of Tus.
- After 1040: Went to Ghazna after the Battle of Dandanakan and entered state service.
- 1063: Appointed vizier of the Great Seljuk State, according to the TDV’s dating.
- 1067: The Baghdad Nizamiyya opened.
- 1072: Backed Malik-Shah’s accession to the throne.
- 1086-1091: The first 39 chapters of the Siyasatnama were prepared, according to the Iranica.
- 1091: Appointed al-Ghazali as professor at the Baghdad Nizamiyya.
- 1092: Assassinated on 14 October and buried in Isfahan.
- 1960: Hubert Darke’s English translation of the Siyasatnama was published.
Details you won’t find in guidebooks
- A campus, not just a classroom. The Baghdad Nizamiyya was a complex. Beside the classrooms it had dormitories, a refectory, a bathhouse and a library.
- Gifts for the library. Nizam al-Mulk donated the books given to him to the library of the Baghdad Nizamiyya.
- A book that grew. A note added to the Siyasatnama’s preface says he expanded the first 39 chapters by adding 11 more.
- “Father” to the sultan. Malik-Shah’s habit of calling his vizier “father” shows how personal the partnership was.
FAQ
What does Nizam al-Mulk mean?
The title is explained in Turkish as “the order of the state.” It describes the man’s role. He kept the Great Seljuk administration running.
Who assassinated Nizam al-Mulk?
A Batini fidai named Abu Tahir-i Arrani killed him on 14 October 1092 at Sahna, near Nihavand. Who ordered the killing is disputed. Accounts name Malik-Shah, Terken Khatun or Hasan Sabbah, while other sources say Malik-Shah swore he had no part in it.
Is there an English translation of the Book of Government?
Yes. Hubert Darke translated it from Persian as The Book of Government or Rules for Kings. Yale University Press published it in 1960.
What was Nizam al-Mulk’s full name?
His given name was Abu Ali Hasan ibn Ali ibn Ishaq al-Tusi. The “Tusi” in it points to Tus in Khorasan, the city whose district he was born in.
Where is Nizam al-Mulk buried?
His tomb is in Isfahan, in Iran.
Sources
- TDV Islam Ansiklopedisi, “Nizamulmulk” islamansiklopedisi.org.tr
- TDV Islam Ansiklopedisi, “Nizamiye Medresesi” islamansiklopedisi.org.tr
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, “Siar al-Moluk” iranicaonline.org
- Wikipedia, “Nizam al-Mulk” en.wikipedia.org
- Vikipedi, “Nizamulmulk” tr.wikipedia.org
- CiNii Books, “The Book of Government” ci.nii.ac.jp
Image: Nizam-al-mulk Tomb Stone.jpg — Abtin3rJ, CC BY-SA 4.0