Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Assistant Professor, Islamic Knowledge Group, School of Theology, Imam Hossein University(AS), Tehran, Iran.
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Iranian Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Meybod University, Meybod, Iran.
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Faculty of Humanities, Meybod University, Meybod, Iran.
Abstract
In the present study, focusing on the principle of the “dynamic and enduring relationship between environment and behavior,” the phenomenon of war is examined as one of the undeniable characteristics of the Age of Ignorance (Jāhiliyyah) in Hijaz. The importance of investigating the phenomenon of war during this period is such that it plays a significant role in understanding the transformations of that era. Given the significance of the subject, the main research question is: what influence did natural and climatic factors have on the groundwork and occurrence of conflicts in the Jāhiliyyah period? This article examines the hypothesis that the environmental characteristics and natural features of Hijaz had a considerable impact on social developments, particularly with regard to wars and battles in the region. The research method is historical-analytical, based on library sources (historical and geographical), through which relevant data and the research hypothesis are analyzed. The findings, which emphasize environmental influence rather than determinism, indicate that the nature and geography of Hijaz had a notable impact on the formation and configuration of a specific type of social structure and political fabric in the region. Adverse climatic conditions, the scarcity of fertile natural resources, minimal utilization of the region’s connective position, the lack of natural attractions, and other such factors greatly influenced the formation of their cognitive, communicational, and livelihood systems. Living in a harsh and impoverished natural environment, along with the absence of sustained contact with surrounding societies, also gave rise to a corresponding moral and behavioral system. The findings suggest that the poor and harsh geography of Hijaz—not deterministically but as a primary groundwork factor—led to the formation of a tribal structure, a livelihood based on plunder, and ultimately the frequent occurrence of prolonged wars.
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