Scholars, Saints and Sufis: Muslim Religious Institutions since 1500

What comes through very clearly is the differences between Sunni and Shia leadership, and how the different structures of each branch of Islam has created vastly different outcomes for how the ulama of both branches deal with political elites.

These essays clearly portray how the diffuse leadership of the Sunnis as well as the philisophical belief that tyranny is preferable to the potential anarchy of opposing the political leadership created a pliant support structure out of Sunni elites that tended to help the most corrupt of regimes. Only when their own postions were directly threatened would they take on the leadership, often times with succesfull outcomes. Whereas the more hierarchical Shias found it easier to rally the people and to oppose political leadership.

University of California Press. Used paperback in good condition