Acts of Protection Represented in Bactrian Documents

Bibliographic Data

ID21550847
AuthorsSaid Reza Huseini (0000-0002-9974-1583, Leiden University, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume54
Pages107-124
Publication date2020-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAnnales islamologiques (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0570-1716 • E-ISSN: 2429-2850
PublisherOpenEdition (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.4000/anisl.7655
OpenAlexW3210168264
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited11

This paper addresses the concept and mechanism of protection represented in Bactrian documents. Based on the analysis of these documents, it discusses two main procedures for obtaining protection practiced in late antique Bactria. The first was the presentation of petitions by an individual or a group of people to the local authorities with the aim of asking for protection for their lives, properties and honour. In this mechanism oral petitions, letters, and intermediaries played the main role. The second procedure for obtaining protection was to ask for “a contract of undertaking” which was issued by the court of law and witnessed and sealed by court officials. The contract of undertaking had specific legal clauses which guaranteed protection for the petitioners and their dependants. In both cases the petitions were issued by the authorities through a set of standard administrative procedures. The systems suggested in these documents show that a sophisticated system for redressing wrongs and providing protection was provided by governmental administrations that reached even the smallest villages in Bactria

Business · Honour · Intermediary · Petitioner · Political science · Supreme court · Ancient Near East History · Byzantine Studies and History · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Law · Medicine · Finance

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