Nasir Al-Din Tusi on Public Administration and Legal Doctrine

Abstract The article examines the political and legal views of the great 13th-century Azerbaijani thinker Nasir al-Din Tusi. It analyzes Tusi’s ideas concerning the origin of the state, principles of governance, the concept of justice, legality, the duties of the ruler, the social structure of society, and issues of foreign policy. It has been determined that Tusi regarded the state as a political union formed as a result of the mutual needs of human beings, while justice was considered the principal foundation of the state. He maintained that the ideal ruler should be wise, educated, and just, and identified the welfare of the people as the primary objective of state policy. Tusi also emphasized that war should serve only as a last resort, advocating instead the superiority of peace and diplomatic relations. The article concludes that the political and legal ideas of the author are consonant with the principles of modern statehood and international law.