The Era of Elite Schools in the Islamic World (11th–13th Centuries CE)

Document Type : Conference Paper

Author

Department of History of Medicine School of Persian Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

In the Second Half of the Iranian Renaissance (9th–13th Centuries CE), which led to the flourishing of the Persian language, philosophy, and rational sciences, the arrival of Turks from the northwest into Iran altered the political-military structures and redirected the trajectory of knowledge in the Islamic world. With the dominance of the Ghaznavids and Seljuks, the scientific center of gravity shifted back toward the western centers of the Islamic world, with religious sciences and Arabic language gaining prominence in educational domains. However, eastern regions, such as those under the Khwarazmian rule, remained exceptions, preserving their indigenous rational traditions. This article, drawing on historical studies of medicine and education, examines the transformations during this “Era of Elite Schools” and demonstrates how this period laid the foundation for the Nizamiyyah schools, religious-scientific networks, and a shift in the scientific balance between the eastern and western Islamic world. This process continued until the Mongol invasion, after which a phase of scientific reconstruction began.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Research on History of Medicine
Volume 14, Suppl. 1
The 2nd History of Medicine Meeting: Entangled Histories: Contribution of Iran and Türkiye to the Development of Medical Sciences; 2025 Oct 7-10; Shiraz, Iran
October 2025
Pages 21-24

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