The Educational and Administrative Structure of Rabe’ Rashidi as a Complex for Perfection Seeking (Istikmal)

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Associate Prof., Iranian Institute for Social and Cultural Studies

Abstract

It would be much of value and importance to understand how in less than a century after the attack to another land and nation, the uncultured invaders changed dramatically in the realm of science and knowledge so they created an academic complex, Rab'-e Rashidi, during Ilkhanid dynasty. Rab'-e Rashidi as a big academic center was established by Rashid-al-Din Fadhlollah Hamadani (the minister of Ghazan Khan) in the late 7th century (the 13th century). According to his Report, this complex was equipped with a paper factory, a library, an educational treatment center (Dar-ol-Shafa), a center for teaching and researching on Quran (Dar-ol Quran), accommodation for teachers and students, and other facilities. Thousands of students from Iran, China, Egypt, and Syria studied their desired subjects there. In addition to the components of the foundation, it contained caravanserais, shops, baths, storehouses, mills, and so on. Though, the Rab'-e Rashidi began to decline after the death of Rashid al-Din in 1318 and during its long history much damage happened by human causes or by natural disasters, but from the viewpoint of sociology of knowledge, it is very important that Rashid-al-Din Fadhlollah Hamadani performed different rules and regulations for all of these aspects and constituents, in detail: Vaghfnameh is an elaborating and professorial book written by Hamadani which describe Rab'-e Rashidi complex. Findings indicates that Rab'-e established according to an existential state of human in the world and describes a system of justice.

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