The hostile relations between the Alavids of Tabaristan and the Abbasid Caliphate represent one of the most significant cases of political-religious confrontation in Islamic history. Beyond military conflicts, this confrontation reflected a deeper struggle over cultural and ideological legitimacy. In this context, Antonio Gramsci’s theory of hegemony, which emphasizes the role of cultural dominance in stabilizing political order, provides an effective framework for analyzing this historical conflict. The central question of this study is: How did the Alavids of Tabaristan resist Abbasid hegemony, and to what extent were they able to construct an alternative hegemony based on Shi‘i discourse?. The findings indicate that the Alavids, by utilizing the teachings of Zaydi Shi‘ism and Mu‘tazili rationalism, reforming religious practices, promoting anti-caliphate symbols, redistributing economic resources, and attracting disaffected groups, sought to challenge the Abbasid domination. While the geographic conditions and structural weaknesses of the Caliphate facilitated the limited expansion of this counter-hegemony, the Alavids' confined social base in Tabaristan and their failure to form lasting alliances prevented its broader spread. Nevertheless, their efforts left a lasting impact on the formation of Shi‘i identity in northern Iran.
Hasan Beigi, M., & Bayat, F. (2025). Cultural hegemony and the resistance of the Alavids of Tabaristan: An analysis of hostile relations with the Abbasid Caliphate based on Gramsci’s Theory. Historical Findings, 2(1), 14-27. doi: 10.30466/jhf.2025.56212.1039
MLA
Mohammad` Hasan Beigi; Fatemeh Bayat. "Cultural hegemony and the resistance of the Alavids of Tabaristan: An analysis of hostile relations with the Abbasid Caliphate based on Gramsci’s Theory", Historical Findings, 2, 1, 2025, 14-27. doi: 10.30466/jhf.2025.56212.1039
HARVARD
Hasan Beigi, M., Bayat, F. (2025). 'Cultural hegemony and the resistance of the Alavids of Tabaristan: An analysis of hostile relations with the Abbasid Caliphate based on Gramsci’s Theory', Historical Findings, 2(1), pp. 14-27. doi: 10.30466/jhf.2025.56212.1039
VANCOUVER
Hasan Beigi, M., Bayat, F. Cultural hegemony and the resistance of the Alavids of Tabaristan: An analysis of hostile relations with the Abbasid Caliphate based on Gramsci’s Theory. Historical Findings, 2025; 2(1): 14-27. doi: 10.30466/jhf.2025.56212.1039
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