A history of social justice and political power in the Middle East : the Circle of Justice from Mesopotamia to globalization / Linda T. Darling.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [310]-382) and index.

Introduction: the Circle of Justice -- Mesopotamia:'that the strong might not oppress the weak' -- Persia:'the deeds god likes best are righteousness and justice' -- The Islamic Empire:'no prosperity without justice and good administration' -- Politics in transition:'curb the strong from riding on the weak' -- The Turks and Islamic civilization:'the most penetrating of arrows is the prayer of the oppressed' -- Mongols and Turks:'fierce toward offenders, and in judgements just' -- Early modern empires:'the world is a garden, its wall is the state' -- Modernization and revolution:'no justice without law applied equally to all' -- The Middle East in the twentieth century:'a regime can endure with impiety but not with injustice' -- Conclusion.