Introduction
After the fall of the Safavid dynasty, intellectual activity in Iran was largely reduced to jurisprudence (fiqh). In this period, political thought was no longer developed through philosophy, theology, or independent inquiry but was confined within the framework of Islamic law. This narrowing of intellectual horizons not only shaped the political discourse of Shi‘i scholars but also prevented the emergence of modern scientific approaches to politics and society.
In this context, Morteza Ansari (1214–1281 AH / 1799–1864 CE), known as Sheikh al-A‘zam (“the Great Sheikh”), stands out as one of the most influential jurists of the Qajar era. His works, particularly al-Makāsib and al-Rasā’il, established him as the intellectual architect of the modern Shi‘i seminary and the founder of the institution of marja‘iyya (supreme religious authority). However, his political thought, like that of his predecessors and successors, remained confined to jurisprudence, thereby reinforcing the reduction of politics to fiqh.
This article critically examines The Political Thought of Morteza Ansari. It first situates his ideas within the historical context of post-Safavid Iran, then analyzes his life and works, explores his jurisprudential approach to politics, and compares his views with those of Sahib al-Jawahir (Muhammad Hasan Najafi). It further discusses the consequences of reducing politics to jurisprudence, particularly in obstructing the development of modern scientific disciplines. The article concludes by assessing Ansari’s legacy as both a consolidator of Shi‘i jurisprudence and a symbol of the absence of independent political philosophy in nineteenth-century Iran.
Historical Context: From the Safavids to the Qajars
The Safavid dynasty (1501–1736) institutionalized Twelver Shi‘ism as the state religion, thereby elevating jurisprudence from a purely religious science to a political instrument (Rizvi, 2005, p. 25). This transformation enabled jurists to play a central role in legitimizing state authority, but it also marginalized philosophy, kalām (theology), and the nascent social sciences.
While earlier Muslim thinkers such as al-Fārābī and Nasir al-Din Tusi integrated political philosophy with ethics and metaphysics, post-Safavid intellectual life witnessed the decline of philosophy and the dominance of jurisprudence (Modarressi, 1987, p. 42). By the Qajar era, during which Morteza Ansari lived, political discourse had been almost entirely confined to fiqh. Questions of power, justice, and governance were discussed primarily as matters of religious law rather than as subjects for philosophical or empirical investigation.
The Life and Intellectual Position of Morteza Ansari
Born in Dezful in 1799, Morteza Ansari pursued advanced studies in the Shi‘i seminaries of Iraq. He studied under prominent figures, including Kashif al-Ghita’ and Sahib al-Jawahir, before rising to prominence as one of the leading jurists of Najaf.
His two seminal works, al-Makāsib and al-Rasā’il, remain core texts in Shi‘i legal education. Beyond his writings, Ansari is often credited with establishing the institutional framework of marja‘iyya, whereby one jurist assumes the role of supreme authority in religious and legal matters (Muzzafar, 1992, p. 112). This institutional innovation profoundly shaped the subsequent relationship between Shi‘i authority and politics.
Political Thought within the Framework of Jurisprudence
Ansari did not approach politics as an independent field of inquiry but as an extension of jurisprudence. In his discussions on the authority of the jurist (wilāyat al-faqīh), he restricted the scope of political authority to specific domains:
- Guardianship over orphans and the mentally incapacitated,
- Judicial authority and arbitration,
- Administration of public affairs of a religious nature (umūr ḥisbiya) (Ansari, 1996, p. 45).
Unlike later theorists who advocated for a more expansive or even absolute form of juristic authority, Ansari adopted a cautious stance. Nevertheless, his framework remained firmly within the boundaries of fiqh. Concepts such as the modern state, civil society, or constitutionalism were absent from his thought (Kadivar, 1997, p. 78).
Ansari and Sahib al-Jawahir: Continuity and Divergence
To fully understand Ansari’s thought, one must situate it in relation to his teacher, Sahib al-Jawahir (Muhammad Hasan Najafi, 1787–1849). Najafi, in his monumental Jawāhir al-Kalām, endorsed the idea of general juristic authority (wilāya ‘āmma) and argued for broader powers of the jurist in political and social matters (Najafi, 1987, vol. 21, p. 397).
Ansari, by contrast, was more circumspect. While acknowledging the necessity of juristic authority in limited domains, he refrained from expanding it into an all-encompassing doctrine. The comparison reveals:
- Similarities: Both Najafi and Ansari reduced politics to jurisprudence.
- Differences: Najafi leaned toward an expansive doctrine of juristic authority, while Ansari restricted it.
From a broader perspective, however, both thinkers remained locked within the epistemological framework of fiqh and did not transcend it to develop a systematic theory of politics (Modarressi, 1987, p. 51).
Reducing Politics to Jurisprudence: Intellectual Consequences
The Political Thought of Morteza Ansari illustrates the larger intellectual trajectory of post-Safavid Shi‘ism: the juridification of politics. This reductionism produced several consequences:
- The absence of an autonomous political philosophy,
- Substitution of legal categories for political concepts,
- Inability to address modern questions of law, freedom, and governance.
In earlier centuries, thinkers such as al-Fārābī envisioned politics as an extension of philosophy and ethics, while Nasir al-Din Tusi sought to harmonize politics with morality. By contrast, Ansari and his contemporaries confined themselves to legalistic reasoning, which severely limited the horizons of political thought (Rahmani, 2013, p. 76).
Obstruction of Modern Scientific Thought
The dominance of jurisprudence had implications beyond politics: it obstructed the rise of modern scientific approaches in Iran. While Europe in the nineteenth century witnessed the birth of sociology (Comte), modern political science (Tocqueville), and political economy (Marx), the Shi‘i seminaries remained focused almost exclusively on fiqh (Horowitz, 1996, p. 22).
This intellectual insulation prevented Iranian scholars from engaging with modern disciplines. The result was a widening gap between Iran and the West in terms of social sciences and political theory—a gap that continues to affect Iranian intellectual life today.
Ansari and the Qajar State
Ansari lived during the Qajar era, a time marked by the declining legitimacy of the monarchy and increasing pressures from colonial powers. Despite these challenges, he largely avoided direct political engagement. He neither legitimized the Qajar monarchy outright nor proposed an alternative framework for governance (Kasravi, 1984, p. 189).
His caution meant that his influence was felt more within the seminary and the structure of marja‘iyya than in the realm of statecraft. From a critical perspective, Ansari thus missed a historical opportunity to formulate a new political theory suited to the challenges of his time.
Innovations and Limitations in The Political Thought of Morteza Ansari
Ansari’s major innovations lay in the field of jurisprudence, particularly in his systematic elaboration of principles of legal reasoning (uṣūl al-fiqh) and the development of procedural tools such as the practical principles (al-uṣūl al-‘amaliyya).
However, in political thought, he did not move beyond the inherited framework of jurisprudence. This limitation confined his work to the seminary context and excluded it from broader global conversations in political theory (Kadivar, 1997, p. 82).
The Legacy of The Political Thought of Morteza Ansari
Ansari’s legacy can be assessed on two levels:
- Direct influence on his students and later jurists, including Akhund Khurasani and Muhammad Husayn Na’ini, who played roles in the Constitutional Revolution but still framed their arguments within jurisprudence.
- Indirect influence in consolidating the political centrality of fiqh in Shi‘i thought throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
In this sense, Ansari is remembered less as a political theorist and more as a jurist whose work symbolized the persistence of jurisprudentialism and the absence of autonomous political science in Iran.
Conclusion
The political thought of Morteza Ansari reflects the broader trajectory of Shi‘i intellectual life after the Safavid period: the reduction of intellectual activity to jurisprudence. By confining politics within fiqh, Ansari reinforced the juridification of politics, limited the scope of political discourse, and inadvertently contributed to the obstruction of modern scientific approaches.
His cautious divergence from Sahib al-Jawahir underscores both continuity and limitation: although he resisted the expansion of juristic authority, he nevertheless shared the same epistemological framework that confined politics to law.
Ansari’s historical importance lies in his role as a consolidator of Shi‘i jurisprudence and marja‘iyya. Still, from a critical standpoint, his legacy symbolizes the missed opportunity for the development of independent political philosophy and modern sciences in nineteenth-century Iran.
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