Islamic society had two main groups, Turkish tribal groups and Iranians. The Iranians were the majority. Most people were farmers or townspeople. The hierarchy of society went as follows :
1. Shah
2. Bureaucracy and Landed Classes
3. Common People (Majority)
Iranian women, who had enjoyed considerable freedom during the period before the Safavids' arrival, were forced into seclusion and were once again forced to wear veils during the Safavid Dynasty.
Religion was a large part of Safavid society. Their religion was Shi'ite. This is the smaller of the two main groups of Islam - the larger being Sunni. Shi'ite was originally a political faction that supported the power of Ali, who was a son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad and the fourth caliph of the Muslim community. The caliph is the temporal and spiritual leader of Muslims. All Muslims trace the origin of their religion to the prophet Muhammad who lived in Arabia in the 7th century AD. Their ultimate reality is Allah who is viewed as the sole God and creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world. Their doctrine is contained in the holy book called the Qur'an. The shahs of the Safavid Empire proclaimed themselves the spiritual leaders of all of Islam.
Art was a large part of Safavid society. It flourished under the rule of Shah Abbas (see political past). He built great mosques, palaces and bazaars.
Persian carpets were made in the Safavid Empire and they are still highly valued today in the western world. A gallery of images of Persian carpets is found on this site.
Persian painting changed from paintings to line drawings and from landscape scenes to portraits during the Safavid era. These paintings contained soft colors and flowing movement. This is as a result of the western influence on the Safavid Empire. As in the Renaissance period, the wealthy and royal were artists. Safavid painting was a window to their lifestyle; the gardens decked with flowers and the soothing stream were well accepted by those who lived in a bleak and barren landscape(1). Demonstrating how important painting and artwork was to the Safavids, Shah Ismail is said to have captured a city simply to teach a famous painter's son how to paint (1). Later in the 17th century the focus of Safavid art changed, and the artist focused more on sensuality, eroticism, and realism because they wanted to paint life and beauty. This connected art to the realistic world (1).
Other popular forms of art in the Safavid Empire were poetry, painting, and metalwork. A lot of literature was written, but its quality was poor. This is partly because many of the best Safavid poets were enticed by financial rewards to go to India to write for the Mughal emperors.
1. Robinson, Francis. Atlas of the Islamic World since 1500. Oxford England: Equinox, 1982.
