مطالعه تطبیقی منصب حجابت در دو دوره ایران پیش از اسلام و قرون نخستین اسلامی

The office of Ḥijābat and the position of the Ḥājib have been among the significant posts in the political and administrative structures of Iran and the Islamic world, undergoing notable conceptual and functional developments over time. This study primarily investigates the origin, function, and historical evolution of the Ḥijābat office within Iranian and Islamic culture and civilization, addressing the question of whether this office has roots in pre-Islamic Iranian traditions or emerged within the Islamic political-administrative framework. The paper first clarifies the linguistic and technical meaning of Ḥijābat, then examines the origins and status of the Ḥājib in ancient Iranian culture, and subsequently traces the evolution of this office in Islamic culture up to the end of the early centuries of Islam. The research follows a descriptive-analytical methodology based on library studies, drawing on historical sources, chronicles of ruling dynasties, administrative and military records, and accounts of the caliphal court. The findings indicate that while the office of Ḥijābat had a precedent in the Sasanian administrative system, it was adopted, transformed, and institutionalized within the Islamic era, gaining a broader and more formalized role in the caliphal court. Consequently, the Ḥijābat can be understood as a cross-cultural institution that played a pivotal role in the transfer and reproduction of administrative structures from Iran to the Islamic world, contributing significantly to the development of bureaucratic systems and political ceremonial practices.