
From Ancient Mesopotamia Into The 20th Century, The Circle Of Justice As A Concept Has Pervaded Middle Eastern Political Thought And Underpinned The Exercise Of Power In The Middle East. The Circle Of Justice Depicts Graphically How A Government's Justice Toward The Population Generates Political Power, Military Strength, Prosperity, And Good Administration. This Book Traces This Set Of Relationships From Its Earliest Appearance In The Political Writings Of The Sumerians Through Four Millennia Of Middle Eastern Culture. It Explores How People Conceptualized And Acted Upon This Powerful Insight, How They Portrayed It In Symbol, Painting, And Story, And How They Transmitted It From One Regime To The Next. Moving Towards The Modern Day, The Author Shows How, Although The Circle Of Justice Was Largely Dropped From Political Discourse, It Did Not Disappear From People's Political Culture And Expectations Of Government. The Book Demonstrates The Circle's Relevance To The Iranian Revolution And The Rise Of Islamist Movements All Over The Middle East, And Suggests How The Concept Remains Relevant In An Age Of Capitalism.
This work investigates how the 'Circle of Justice' concept has functioned as a foundational framework for political legitimacy and governance in the Middle East across four millennia. Linda T. Darling, an expert in Ottoman and Middle Eastern history, utilizes a vast array of primary sources—ranging from ancient Sumerian texts to modern political discourse—to argue that this conceptual model of reciprocal obligation between ruler and subject remains a persistent element of regional political culture. By tracing the evolution of this idea, the author demonstrates how it has informed the exercise of power, the administration of state affairs, and the expectations of the populace from antiquity to the era of globalization.
What You Will Find
Scholars and historians recognize this text as a significant contribution to the study of Middle Eastern political thought and the long-term continuity of governance models. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the meticulous archival research that supports the author's arguments regarding the endurance of traditional political expectations.
Page Count:
399
Publication Date:
2012-01-01
Publisher:
Routledge
ISBN-10:
0203096851
ISBN-13:
9780203096857
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