Political Movements and Political-Legal Thought in Central Asia in the Middle Ages

Abstract Central Asia has long served as a stage for resilience and socio-political struggle among Turkic peoples. In the early Middle Ages, the Muqannaʿ uprising dealt a significant blow to Arab rule, destabilized the Caliphate, and contributed to dynastic changes. Centuries later, the Sarbadar movement temporarily ended Mongol domination and briefly realized the long-sought ideal of a “people’s state” envisioned by many intellectuals. Central Asian Turkic scholars made invaluable contributions to the history of science and political thought during the Middle Ages, significantly influencing the region’s intellectual and cultural development.