The Reasons of Expansion and Stabilization of Shiism in Mazandaran from the Fall of Abbasids to the Emergence of Safavids

Mazandaran is a land in the north of Iran with a rich background of experiencing a diversity of cultures throughout its history. But what has remained stable there is the Shiite culture. In addition to a review over the natural and human geography of Shiism in Mazandaran, this thesis aims at answering this question that what are the reasons of expansion and stabilization of Shiism in Mazandaran from the fall of Abbasids to the emergence of Safavids? According to the conclusions of the thesis various factors have played role in the expansion of Shiism in Mazandarn including political, cultural and social. As political factors we can point to: the role of governors, their policies in order to expand Shiism and their interactions with scholars and Ulema. As cultural factors we can point to: the role of Ulema and poets, convergence of Sufism and Shiism, veneration of Sadat and religious monuments. And among social factors we can refer to: social function of tombs and religious rituals. This thesis employs descriptive-analytical method and uses library sources in order to survey these factors.