Nizam al-Mulk: Book of Government; or, Rules for Kings

Questions for Further Study

• 1.: Compare this document with Machiavelli's Prince. In what sense are both documents “Mirrors for Princes”? How do the two documents reflect the differences in the cultures that produced them?
• 2.: What was the relationship between spiritual authority and temporal (earthly) authority in the Islamic nations of the Middle East in the eleventh century? Compare the views expressed in this document with modern views expressed by the Ayatollah Khomeini in Islamic Government.
• 3.: Why did Nizam al-Mulk consider it necessary to write the Book of Government; or, Rules for Kings? What was it about the Seljuks and their relationship with the Middle East that required such a document?
• 4.: In its early centuries, Islam split into various factions that differed on points of doctrine. What impact did this split have on governance and statecraft at the time of the Book of Government?
• 5.: What is the meaning of the nomadic proverb that one could conquer but could not rule from horseback? What implications did the truth of this proverb have for governance in the Middle East at the time of Book of Government?