Jāmī's Salāmān va Absāl: Political Statements and Mystical Advice Addressed to the Āq Qoyūnlū Court of Sultān Ya‘qūb (d. 896/1490)

This article explores Salāmān va Absāl, one of seven poems which comprise Jāmī's collection of long masnavīs, known collectively as the Haft aurang. The work, which gained some renown outside Iran due to the English version of Edward FitzGerald, has nevertheless received little attention in modern scholarship. The few investigations of Salāmān va Absāl, moreover, have dwelled on its narrative, which tells the story of the carnal attraction of a prince for his wet-nurse, and never situated the work in its historical context or examined its political content. In addition, the allegorical symbolism of the tale, especially its depiction of key stages of the Sufi path, such as the act of repentance, has not been discussed in terms of representing a work of mystical advice. With these concerns in mind, the present article discusses the possibility that the political elements in Salāmān va Absāl complement the advice it gives on becoming a Sufi. Seen from this perspective, it would appear that Salāmān va Absāl correlates the notion of the just ruler to the Sufi concept of the “Perfect Man” to the extent that Jāmī presents the Sufi-king as the ideal medieval Islamic ruler. By implication, the work advises its royal patron, Sultān Ya‘qūb, to repent and embark upon the Sufi path, doing so, Jāmī intimates, would lead Ya‘qūb to realize his rank as God's “true” vicegerent.     

The Price of Peace: A Predictive Model of UN Peacekeeping Fiscal Costs

This study devised a predictive model of peacekeeping fiscal costs based on an analysis of all United Nations peacekeeping operations since 1945. Our results indicate that the costs of a peacekeeping operation were significantly influenced by the length of that mission and the size of the force deployed. Beyond these factors, the historical development from observer to second generation missions has produced more costly operation.     

THE POLITICAL TRADE‐OFF BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL STRINGENCY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL AMERICA*

ABSTRACT We examine the impact of the political trade‐off between rural economic development and environmental quality on the determination of environmental regulations in the U.S. intensive livestock industry. The political economy model, adapted from Fredriksson (1997) , is tested empirically, using state‐level data on environmental regulation of the U.S. livestock sector. We find that state governments respond to greater potential for water pollution with more stringent environmental regulations. Consistent with our political economy model, we also find that states with lower recent growth in per capita income implement less stringent environmental regulations.     

Locally diagnostic phytoliths of wild rice (Zizania palustris L.) from Minnesota,USA: comparison to other wetland grasses and usefulness for archaeobotany and paleoecological reconstructions

Wild rice (Zizania spp.) is an important native grain of north-central North America, with spiritual and subsistence significance to many native peoples. Due to lack of suitable proxies, its past distribution and pattern of use are poorly known. This study demonstrates the diagnostic value of silica phytoliths from Z. palustris as a proxy tool to detect its past occurrence in a variety of paleoenvironmental and archaeological contexts. Our main findings are: 1) Dominant wetland grass species in Minnesota produce phytoliths distinct from Zizania phytoliths; 2) Closely related Leersia oryzoides produces a few Zizania-like phytolith morphotypes; however, these potential confusers can be identified based on 2-D and 3-D morphologies; 3) Z. palustris produces a wide variety of phytolith morphotypes, many of which are only found in certain parts of the plant (e.g., Inflorescence Type 1 from the spikelet); 4) Z. palustris produces 23 locally diagnostic phytolith morphotypes that can be used to determine the presence and abundance of wild rice in modern and paleo lake sediments; and 5) Wild rice phytolith Inflorescence Type 1 is the morphotype most likely to be observed in archaeological contexts, and may be unequivocally diagnostic for the genera Zizania.