The social nework of the Nizamiyyah school system during the early Saljuq period (1093-1092 C.E./456-485 A.H)

Abstract

This study examines the social networks among ten Nizāmiyyah Madrasahs built by the great vizier Niẓām al-Mulk in the early period of the Saljuq dynasty. Niẓāmiyyah institutions served as higher educational centres for religious studies in the middle ages and contributed significantly to the development of the Madrasah administration system. The Niẓāmiyyah Madrasahs constitute the first universities built by Muslims and served as a model for later educational institutions. The research analyses primary and secondary sources dealing with the history of Muslim education by applying the concept of social network to the study of Muslim educational institutions. There were strong social networks among individuals and organisations associated with the Madrasah Niẓāmiyyah throughout the Saljuq dynasty. The administrative system succeeded in creating a strong relationship between professors and students of one madrasah to another. Academic activities included debating among professors, lecturer exchange, visiting-professors, and employment of graduate students in its administration system. Niẓāmiyyah libraries facilitated a good relationship with scholars of Shāfiʻī law. The construction of mosques within the madrasah facilitated communication between the madrasah and the public. The social networks of the various Niẓāmiyyah Madrasahs contributed significantly to the prosperity of the Saljuq age and the Islamic civilisation.