Ismail sought to reintroduce Sunni orthodoxy. The terms of trade were not imposed on the Safavid shahs, but rather negotiated. The Chief architect of this colossal task of urban planning was Shaykh Bahai (Baha' ad-Din al-`Amili), who focused the programme on two key features of Shah Abbas's master plan: the Chahar Bagh avenue, flanked at either side by all the prominent institutions of the city, such as the residences of all foreign dignitaries. With his new army, Abbs defeated the Turks in 1603, forcing them to relinquish all the territory they had seized, and captured Baghdad. Except for Shah Abbas II, the Safavid rulers after Abbas I were largely ineffectual. [65] This court intrigue lead directly to tribal conflict. The kingdom further extended its territory to include overseas lands that were acquired through declarations of loyalty to the Ottoman Sultan and caliph. [201], Criminal justice was entirely separate from civil law and was judged upon common law administered through the Minister of Justice, local governors and the Court minister (the Nazir). The epic called the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), a stellar example of manuscript illumination and calligraphy, was made during Shah Tahmasp's reign. The Safavid Empire was formed in 1501 and ended by the invasion of Afghans in 1722. Shah Abbas wanted to undermine this political structure, and the recreation of Isfahan, as a Grand capital of Iran, was an important step in centralizing the power. All other . As a result of the Mongol conquest and the relative religious tolerance of the Ilkhanids, Shii dynasties were re-established in Iran, Sarbedaran in Khorasan being the most important. It covered all of Iran, and parts of Turkey and Georgia. The Common people were the lowest class on the pyramid in which they mainly consisted of farmers and herders. Constant wars with the Ottomans made Shah Tahmasp I move the capital from Tabriz, into the interior city of Qazvin in 1548. This defection of two of the shah's most trusted subjects and gholams infuriated the shah, as reported by the Safavid court historian Iskander Beg Munshi. [121] Ultimately forming an alliance, the two sought refuge with the Ottoman forces in Ottoman ruled Imereti. The Safavid Period, 1501-1732", "18 Iran, Armenia and Georgia Rise of a Shii State in Iran and New Orientation in Islamic Thought and Culture", "The Voyages and Travels of the Ambassadors", "Georgians in the Safavid administration", Artistic and cultural history of the Safavids from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2205. Robbers had their right wrists amputated the first time, and sentenced to death on any subsequent occasion. Despite being based on urf, it relied upon certain sets of legal principles. Stefan Sperl, C. Shackle, Nicholas Awde, "Qasida poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa", Brill Academic Pub; Set Only edition (February 1996), p. 193: "Like Shah Ni'mat Allah-i Vali he hosted distinguished visitors among them Ismail Safavi, who had proclaimed himself Shahanshah of Iran in 1501 after having taken Tabriz, the symbolic and political capital of Iran". [5] In addition to that, the Safavids' power base included largely Turkic-speaking warrior tribes from Azarbaijan and Anatolia, who were collectively known as the Kizilbash, and were, at certain points in time, the de facto rulers of the empire. The status of physicians during the Safavids stood as high as ever. Dabashi, H. (1996) 'Mir Damad and the Founding of the School of Isfahan', in SH Nasr and O. Leaman (eds) History of Islamic Philosophy, London: Routledge, ch. [77] It was a heavy price in terms of territory and prestige lost, but it allowed the empire to last, something that seemed improbable during the first years of Tahmsp's reign. 1977, p. 77. His primary job was to appoint and supervise all the officials of the household and to be their contact with the Shah. He was responsible for introducing all guests, receiving petitions presented to the Shah and reading them if required. Richard Tapper. In private they usually wore a veil that only covered the hair and the back, but upon leaving the home, they put on manteaus, large cloaks that concealed their whole bodies except their faces. Martha's mother Theodorabetter known as Despina Khatun[43]was a Pontic Greek princess, the daughter of the Grand Komnenos John IV of Trebizond. [126][127] Kakheti lost two-thirds of its population in these years by Abbas' punitive campaign. Each magistrate executes justice in his own house in a large room opening on to a courtyard or a garden which is raised two or three feet above the ground. The latter included merchants trading in the bazaars, the trade and artisan guilds (asnf) and members of the quasi-religious organizations run by dervishes (futuvva). [148], The Dutch and English were still able to drain the Iranian government of much of its precious metal supplies. The Qizilbash were warriors, spiritual followers of Haydar, and a source of the Safavid military and political power. Thereafter, the continuing struggle against the Sunnisthe Ottomans in the west and the Uzbeks in the northeastcost the Safavids Kurdistan, Diyarbakr, and Baghdad, while Tabrz was continuously under threat. Following his conquest of Iran and Azerbaijan, Ismail I made conversion mandatory for the largely Sunni population. It seems likely that most, if not all, of the Turkoman grandees at the court also spoke Persian, which was the language of the administration and culture, as well as of the majority of the population. With the capture of Tabriz, the Safavid dynasty officially began. Szczepanski, Kallie. [165], The most precious accessory for men was the turban. In general, the farmers lived in comfort, and they were well paid and wore good clothes, although it was also noted that they were subject to forced labour and lived under heavy demands. The Safavids' archrivals, the neighbouring Ottomans, invaded western and northwestern Safavid Iran and took swaths of territory there, including the city of Baghdad. She had been married to Uzun Hassan[44] in exchange for protection of the Grand Komnenos from the Ottomans. At its height, it encompassed the areas of modern-day Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. An important feature of the Safavid society was the alliance that emerged between the ulama (the religious class) and the merchant community. [198] The local sheriff (kalantar), who was not elected by the people but directly appointed by the Shah, and whose function was to protect the people against injustices on the part of the local governors, supervised the kadkhoda. Thus Div Soltn emerged victorious in the first palace struggle, but he fell victim to Chuha Sultn of the Takkalu, who turned Tahmsp against his first mentor. - The Ottomans were able to capture Constantinople in 1453 by using a 26-foot bronze cannon and several other cannons from 15 to 22 feet in-The methods that the safavid empire used to expand their empire was using an early safavid military hero named ismail who was also 14-15 years old conquered most of persia and iraq (Desiree)-They conquered . State criminals were subjected to the karkan, a triangular wooden collar placed around the neck. A leisurely form of amusement was to be found in the cabarets, particularly in certain districts, like those near the mausoleum of Harun-e Velayat. The Safavid Empire, based in Persia ( Iran ), ruled over much of southwestern Asia from 1501 to 1736. [160] He considered them to be a well-educated and well-behaved people. In return, they had to keep ready a standing army at all times and provide the Shah with military assistance upon his request. 21920. Cambridge University Press. political (1/2 Max 1/2 miranda) -the Safavid political structure is represented by a pyramid with the highest social class at the top or the shah, and the lowest social class at the bottom or the farmers and herders. [159], Also among the aristocracy, in the middle of the hierarchical pyramid, were the religious officials, who, mindful of the historic role of the religious classes as a buffer between the ruler and his subjects, usually did their best to shield the ordinary people from oppressive governments. Suleiman was eager to negotiate his son's return, but Tahmasp rejected his promises and threats until, in 1561, Suleiman compromised with him. Zabiollah Safa (1986), "Persian Literature in the Safavid Period". Usually neither Persian nor European authors mention in which language people communicated with each other. On Tahmsps death support for a successor coalesced around two of his nine sons; the support divided on ethnic linesIsmail was supported by most of the Turkmen tribes as well as his sister Pari Khn Khnum, her Circassian uncle Shamkhal Sultan as well as the rest of the Circassians, while Haydar was mostly supported by the Georgians at court although he also had support from the Turkmen Ustajlu. [194] Under Abbas, the eunuchs became an increasingly important element at the court. Then he turned against Iran's archrival, the Ottomans, recapturing Baghdad, eastern Iraq and the Caucasian provinces by 1616, all through the 16031618, marking the first grand Safavid pitched victory over the Ottomans. This warfare pattern repeated itself under Shah Tahmasp I and Sultan Suleiman I. [128], Teimuraz returned to eastern Georgia in 1615 and defeated a Safavid force. This freed him of his dependence on Qizilbash warriors loyal to local tribal chiefs. The Safavid state was one of checks and balance, both within the government and on a local level. [91] While the murderous actions of Ismail might be explained by political prudence (Ottoman sultans occasionally purged the bloodline to prevent succession rivals[92]), his actions against Shia suggest retaliation against his father, who saw himself as a pious practitioner. [167][failed verification].mw-parser-output .ambox{border:1px solid #a2a9b1;border-left:10px solid #36c;background-color:#fbfbfb;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+link+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+style+.ambox,.mw-parser-output .ambox+.mw-empty-elt+link+link+.ambox{margin-top:-1px}html body.mediawiki .mw-parser-output .ambox.mbox-small-left{margin:4px 1em 4px 0;overflow:hidden;width:238px;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em}.mw-parser-output .ambox-speedy{border-left:10px solid #b32424;background-color:#fee7e6}.mw-parser-output .ambox-delete{border-left:10px solid #b32424}.mw-parser-output .ambox-content{border-left:10px solid #f28500}.mw-parser-output .ambox-style{border-left:10px solid #fc3}.mw-parser-output .ambox-move{border-left:10px solid #9932cc}.mw-parser-output .ambox-protection{border-left:10px solid #a2a9b1}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-text{border:none;padding:0.25em 0.5em;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image{border:none;padding:2px 0 2px 0.5em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-imageright{border:none;padding:2px 0.5em 2px 0;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-empty-cell{border:none;padding:0;width:1px}.mw-parser-output .ambox .mbox-image-div{width:52px}html.client-js body.skin-minerva .mw-parser-output .mbox-text-span{margin-left:23px!important}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .ambox{margin:0 10%}}, Shah Tahmasp introduced a change to this, when he, and the other Safavid rulers who succeeded him, sought to blur the formerly defined lines between the two linguistic groups, by taking the sons of Turkic-speaking officers into the royal household for their education in the Persian language. Chardin specifically noticed the rank of doctors and astrologers and the respect that the Shahs had for them. [39] From their base in Ardabil, the Safavids established control over parts of Greater Iran and reasserted the Iranian identity of the region,[40] thus becoming the first native dynasty since the Buyids to establish a national state officially known as Iran.[41]. For instance, the Qajar dynasty (1789-1925), the first major dynasty to succeed the Safavids, continued the tradition of Safavid book arts, painting, and architecture. In 1514, Sultan Selim I marched through Anatolia and reached the plain of Chaldiran near the city of Khoy, where a decisive battle was fought. His letter of remorse never reached Suleiman, and he was forced to flee abroad to avoid execution. It was certainly not homogenousmaybe it was an Azerbaijanian-Ottoman mixed language, as Beltadze (1967:161) states for a translation of the gospels in Georgian script from the 18th century. The leadership of the order passed from Sadr ud-Dn Ms to his son Khwdja Ali ( 1429) and in turn to his son Ibrhm ( 142947). [72] The victory resulted at least in part from Safavid use of firearms, which they had been acquiring and drilling with since Chaldiran.[73]. Their hairstyle was simple, the hair gathered back in tresses, often adorned at the ends with pearls and clusters of jewels. [196], On a local level, the government was divided into public land and royal possessions. [156], A proper term for the Safavid society is what we today can call a meritocracy, meaning a society in which officials were appointed on the basis of worth and merit, and not on the basis of birth. Lack of investment in ship building and the navy provided the Europeans with the opportunity to monopolize this trading route. [149] The end of the reign of Abbas II, 1666, thus marked the beginning of the end of the Safavid dynasty. "[93] His conduct might also be explained by his drug use. [73] Nevertheless, given the insecurity in Iraq and its northwest territory, Tahmsp moved his court from Tabriz to Qazvin. H.R. $ 3.95. [215] Caravanserais were designed especially to benefit poorer travelers, as they could stay there for as long as they wished, without payment for lodging. "[255], Founding of the dynasty by Shh Ismil I (, Civil strife during Tahmsp's early reign, Recovery of territory from the Uzbeks and the Ottomans, Contacts with Europe during Abbas's reign, Democratic institutions in an authoritarian society, The Isfahan SchoolIslamic philosophy revived, The languages of the court, military, administration and culture. A Study of the Migration of Shii Works from Arab Regions to Iran at the Early Safavid Era. They often dyed their feet and hands with henna. When the second Persian "vakil" was placed in command of a Safavid army in Transoxiana, the Qezelbash, considering it a dishonor to be obliged to serve under him, deserted him on the battlefield with the result that he was slain. The two princes quarrelled and eventually Bayezid rebelled against his father. [14] David Blow adds; "it seems likely that most, if not all, of the Turkoman grandees at the court also spoke Persian, which was the language of the administration and culture, as well as of the majority of the population. The exercises that they took part in were for keeping the body supple and sturdy and to acquire skills in handling of arms. [104] The following year the loyal Qizilbash forces (the Turkmen and Takkalu who controlled Qazvin), with vizier Mirza Salman and crown prince Sultan Hamza Mirza at their head, confronted the rebelling Ustajlu-Shamlu coalition which had assumed control of Khorasan under the nominal rule of young Abbas. Savory, Roger: Iran under the Safavids, pp. And in spite of being transported for more than thirty days, they were fresh when they reached Isfahan After melons the finest fruits were grapes and dates, and the best dates were grown in Jahrom. However, Shah Abbas was fearful to the point of paranoia about the assassination and executed or blinded all of his sons to prevent them from replacing him. Supervise all the officials of the Safavid Empire was formed in 1501 and by! Of arms upon his request nor European authors mention in which they mainly of... The first time, and a source of the Safavid shahs, rather. Lowest class on the pyramid in which they mainly consisted of farmers herders... Common people were the lowest class on the pyramid in which language people communicated each... Collar placed around the neck safavid empire political structure ( Iran ), ruled over much southwestern. 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