<論文>ザンギー朝とアターベク

Abstract

The title of “atabek, ” which may have originated in the Seljukid dynasty, was given to the fosterers and guardians of the children of Seljukid sultans. Thereafter, this title spread widely and was used in regimes of the later period with changing connotations. This article examines the use of the title of atabek in the case of the Zangid dynasty (1127-1233) on the basis of descriptions in documents, coins, and inscriptions. Zangi I, the founder of the Zangid dynasty, established his regime through his position as atabek of the Seljukid sultanʼs son, the nominal ruler. During his lifetime, Zangi I had ruled under the authority of his master and fulfilled his guardianship. In the generation of Zangi Iʼs sons, there were instances where the rulers were not appointed as atabek and did not use the title, and where the title of atabek was acquired with little guardianship. In the third generation, the Zangid rulers were no longer appointed as atabek by the Seljukid sultans. In Jazira, “atabek” became a self-appointed title for the rulers of the Zangid regime in Mosul, and in Syria it became the title of the amirs who had guardianship over the Zangid ruler. In the Zangid dynasty, the role and function of the atabek had changed in line with the decline of the Seljukid and the consequent deterioration of their relationship, and the process of the change was clearly different in each region. Atabek was an office that allowed amirs to establish a fictive kinship with the rulers. Moreover, the presumed continuity with the previous regime through this title supported the legitimacy of the emerging rulers. This may have led to the foundation of regimes by the “atabeks, ” who had no real guardianship over the Seljukid.