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The Turco-Mongol Invasions and the Lords of Armenia in the 13 ...

The Turco-Mongol Invasions and the Lords of Armenia in the 13 ...

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Among <strong>the</strong> ephemeral changes <strong>in</strong>stituted dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Ghazan's reign was fiscal reform. This was undertaken<br />

cm <strong>the</strong> prudent advice <strong>of</strong> Chazan's chief vizier, <strong>the</strong><br />

historian Hashid al-D<strong>in</strong>, a Jewish convert to Islam.<br />

Eashid attempted to check some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most egregious<br />

abuses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> nomadic fiscal system, characterized by<br />

<strong>the</strong> repeated collection under force <strong>of</strong> imprecisely<br />

o<br />

stipulated taxes; <strong>the</strong> billet<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> hordes <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />

"emissaries" or elchis on local populations; <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

wanton destruction <strong>of</strong> crop l<strong>and</strong>s «. But <strong>the</strong> early 14th<br />

century was already late for correct<strong>in</strong>g abuses now<br />

over a century old, especially s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> reform<strong>in</strong>g spirit<br />

did not f<strong>in</strong>d favorable reception among <strong>Mongol</strong> nomad<br />

chiefta<strong>in</strong>s. Moreover, one should bear <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that<br />

nei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> changes occurr<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> ffhazan's time— Islan-<br />

ization as well as <strong>the</strong> beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> end <strong>of</strong> fiscal reform<br />

--took place to <strong>the</strong> exclusion <strong>of</strong> those o<strong>the</strong>r features <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>Mongol</strong> nomadism outl<strong>in</strong>ed above. Far from it, religious<br />

persecution <strong>and</strong> economic chaos operated <strong>in</strong> addition to<br />

<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r abuses. Thus, for example, <strong>in</strong> <strong>13</strong>19 dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />

reign <strong>of</strong> Khuda-B<strong>and</strong>a's young son Abu Sa'id (<strong>the</strong>n a boy<br />

On Ghazan's reforms see Spuler p. 37; SUP clip. 6 pp.<br />

483-537, I.P. Petru.ehevs.ky, "<strong>The</strong> Socio-Economic Condition<br />

<strong>of</strong> Iran under <strong>the</strong> Il-Khans", especially pp. 494-500. For<br />

<strong>Armenia</strong> <strong>in</strong> particularT"hAP III pp. 638-40; SEPHA pp.<br />

273-82.<br />

141

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