Factors Behind the Spread of Medical Superstitions in Iran during the Mongol Period
Tārīkh-i pizishkī i.e., Medical History,
Vol. 17 (1404),
6 Ordibehesht 2025
,
Page 1-17
https://doi.org/10.22037/mhj.v17i.47453
Abstract
Background and Aim: Following the Mongol invasion, superstitions permeated various levels of the people's social and cultural life. During this period, superstition emerged as a serious detriment in the realm of public health and hygiene. However, the question of what factors led to the introduction and spread of superstitions into the field of medicine during this era has received less attention from researchers. This study seeks to examine the factors contributing to the proliferation of superstitions within the domain of medicine during the period in question.
Methods: The present research is based on the historical research method, utilizing data from library sources such as medical manuscripts, social and political histories, and Sufi sources with a descriptive approach.
Ethical Considerations: Honesty and integrity in the analysis, reporting, and dissemination of content were observed.
Results: Investigations indicate that the religious beliefs of the Mongols, certain social and cultural customs of these newly arrived tribes in Iran, alongside the growth of intellectual and religious currents such as fatalism and a spirit of resignation, and the spread of Sufism within society which were social consequences and cultural effects of the Mongol invasion at the societal level, played a significant role in the introduction of superstitions into medical knowledge.
Conclusion: The results show that factors such as Mongol religious rituals and beliefs (augury, disaster aversion, fear of spirits and demons, magic and sorcery), the presence of followers of various religions and sects in the Mongol court due to their religious tolerance, the spread of Sufism, and the linkage between medicine and astrology were reasons for the prevalence of superstitions in medicine during this period. Religious leaders, such as shamans and Sufis, also played a significant role in promoting these beliefs within society.
- Superstition
- Medical Knowledge
- Healing
- Mongols
How to Cite
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