Niẓām Al-Mulk

Niẓām al-Mulk was a famous and prominent Turco-Persian man of state of medieval times and the vizier of the Saljuqid dynasty of eleventh century CE. His growing presence and influence within the dynasty created distrust and enmity within many high-ranking circles, and he was later killed by the mythic Assassins of Ḥasan al-Ṣabbāḥ. He played vital roles in the administration of the state in various aspects from day-to-day politics to theoretical foundations and various economic and military structures of the state. In Siyāsat-nāma, his magnum opus, he is thought to have postulated the theoretical foundations of transforming a morbid caliphal administration into a structure that combined the old Sasanian governmental model and Islamic caliphal model embodied in a centralized system. Since he views the economy and finances as two vital constituents of the administration of government, Niẓām al-Mulk provides practical details about them by tapping into the experiences of old Persian kings and legendary Muslim rulers and by envisaging a state that prioritizes the principle of social justice. Niẓām al-Mulk prescribes justice as the cornerstone of economic activities. Viewing justice as a vital tool for a viable economy could be regarded as an historic observance such that the economic activities should not only be assessed on their own merit. His whole theory runs on a theoretical just system of government within which the state depends on military might which in turn is provided with the taxes collected from the subject people who are treated justly and equitably by the state.