THE NATURE OF CONTINUITYtraditions from the Sasanian past into the fabric of Islamic society.
Thus, the MarwanI restoration, was a more important hinge between
Sasanian and Islamic civilization than the conquest itself, and it can
be argued that Islamic civilization was the result of changes that began
under the last Sasanians.
IMPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS
What is the significance of these conclusions? Do they have any
implications beyond the intrinsic value of helping to understand con-
ditions in Iraq during a particular period of time? Do they raise ad-
ditional questions or have a wider application? How should the claims
of historical specificity be balanced against those of universal appli-
cability? On one side, it could be argued that the conditions in Iraq
on which these conclusions are based are historically and geograph-
ically specific, and that it would be as inappropriate to project them
onto other places and other times as it is to project modern European
circumstances onto premodern, non-European societies. What, then,
would be the point of all of this? On the other side, it could be argued
that human experiences and societies are at least potentially compa-
rable when social circumstances are similar because of the similarity
of human nature. For instance, these conclusions might be expected
to have some applicability to subjects such as the nature and conse-
quences of religious conversion, the formation of associative bonds
and group identities, or authoritarian political systems. The best so-
lution is probably a compromise between both positions so long as
two principles are observed. One is that the applicability of such
conclusions is directly proportional to the degree of similarity in cir-
cumstances. The other is that matters should not be reduced to a level
of abstraction that makes comparisons meaningless.
With this in mind, and without claiming too much, it is possible to
take the conclusions which have been reached here in several direc-
tions. They might be used to understand the subsequent development
of Islamic society in later centuries. They might provide a basis for
comparison with other regions during the same period, which would
enhance the understanding of the transition from antiquity to "me-
dieval" civilizations. They might be applied to other similar circum-
stances. And they might be used to understand the nature of historical
continuity and change.
With regard to the first possibility, a high degree of ethnic and