Politics of Safavid Empire
home ~ politics ~ economy ~ women ~ religion ~ culture ~ geography ~ about the authors ~ bibliography
Past
The Safavid Empire started as a group of Turkish tribes people
of Shiite Sufi descent. This dynasty was a monarchy in the form
of a triangle with the shah (ruler) at the top then beauracracy/
landed classes, then the common people. Shiism was the state religion.
In the empire the ruler (shah) was semi-divine (2) and was thought
to have direct succession from the prophet Muhammad. Shahs would
converse with their subjects with easy access. Shahs had control
over the aristocrats by seizing landed estates and bringing them
under the control of the crown(2). The senior positions in the
bureaucracy were appointed by merit, and the officials chosen
were usually from other countries; this way there was no competition.
The Safavid empire sunk into anarchy after their last shah, Husayn(1).
The monarchs of the Safavid empire were called shahs who were considered to hold some divine powers. These shahs had their faces printed in cups so the common people would think they were friends(2); The shahs often conversed with their subjects. The most significant shahs of the time include: Ismail, Abbas I, Abbas II, and Husayn. Shah Ismail(1) founded the Safavid Empire by taking much of Iran through force. He ruled between the times 1501-1524 and made Tabriz the capital of the empire. The Safavid empire was soon finished during the reign of Shah Abbas I. He moved the capital to Isfahan and it became an architectural masterpiece Abbas I was known as the Great because he had such a common touch: he interacted with the commo folk and wore simple clothes. He acted in a very humble manner. After his death, much territory was lost from the empire due to the pressure from the Ottoman and Mughal empires. The next ruler was Shah Abbas II who ruled between 1642-1666. He attempted to eliminate the corruption of the bureaucracy, and he gained minor peace with the Ottoman and Mughal empires. The last ruler of the Safavid empire was Shah Husayn. He ruled between 1694- 1722 and reconquered the island of Bahrayn. However, in 1722, Afghan forced Husayn to leave and so was the end of the Safavid rule(1).
Foreign relations, war, and military force played a major role in the Safavid empire. The empire was originated by Shah Ismail using military force to seize much of Iran. The strength and size of the military, however, was not great: there was no seagoing navy and the Safavids were forced to send their overland trade with Europe through Russia to avoid Ottoman blockades. The Ottomans were the greatest threat to the Safavids. The most significant foreign policy procedures and attacks occurred during the rule of Shah Abbas I. He basically ignored the Ottoman occupation of his western empire, and focused on creating a standing army and stopping the Uzbek attacks from the East(1). Because of the location of the Safavid Empire, and the threat of the Ottomans, European interest was sparked(1). And so, the Europeans sent legations to the Safavids and helped them conquer the Portugese colony of Hormuz. Soon the Safavid Empire expanded into the Ottoman empire and annexed Najaf and Karbala. Also, with the 1612 Peace Treaty the Ottomans returned Azerbuijan to the Safavids. And so, the Safavid Empire was somewhat left in a state of power and security until it fell in 1722.
1. Columbia Encyclopedia.
"Safavid."
2. Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History: The Human Odyssey.
Sights of Interest:
- This page provides a brief summary of Saddam Hussein's life and accomplishments.
- This page shows speeches made by the ruler of Iran, President Mohammad Khatami, and his ruling techiniques.