political structure of the safavid empire

Oct 21, 2023

Roger M. Savory, "Safawidsiii, The establishment of the Safawid state,". This group became known as the Shia. As the Safavids continued to push westward into Ottoman territory, Bayezids son Selim I responded by invading Iranian Azerbaijan, laying waste to Tabriz in 1514 and attempting to destroy the Qizilbash. His painting and calligraphic style influenced Iranian artists for much of the Safavid period, which came to be known as the Isfahan school. From 1609-1610, war broke out between Kurdish tribes and Safavid Empire. [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. Render date: 2023-04-30T14:46:17.907Z Despite the strong rivalry between the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals, all three empires produced paintings of this type (Figure 4.27). Shi'a's sacred sites were much closerin Iraq, captured by the Safavids in 1623 (but surrendered again to the Ottomans in 1639). (credit: The Feast of Sada, Folio 22v from the Shahnama (Book of Kings) of Shah Tahmasp by Ferdowsi/Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Arthur A. Houghton Jr., 1970 /Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain), This miniature created in the Mughal Empire in 1594 shows a scene from the, https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-2/pages/1-introduction, https://openstax.org/books/world-history-volume-2/pages/4-3-the-safavid-empire, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, Identify the factors that contributed to the rise of the, Discuss the similarities and differences between, Describe the political structure of the Safavid Empire. They sustained one of the longest running empires of Iranian history, lasting from 1501 to 1736. It was perhaps to perpetuate the distinction of Persian from Arabic culture that attracted the Iranians towards Shi'a Islamthe heartland and sacred sites of Sunni Islam would always be in the Arabian peninsula. Abbas I | Biography, History, Architecture, & Significance Women in Safavid Empire: Recent evidence suggests otherwise: There was a struggle against these restrictions Some women openly refused to wear face covers while in public Women donned bright clothing in defiance @ court women played an important political role (indirectly) and were often deeply involved in political conspiracies Started in the Safavid period, mirror mosaics became an enduring Persian decorative motif that was used by the subsequent dynasties. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. The conversion efforts of the Safavids have left long legacies in the Islamic world. Prior to the rise of the Safavids, the region was broken up into a mosaic of autonomous states, all governed by local rulers. We do know that Zahed appointed his son-in-law and disciple Safi al-Din Ardabili to succeed him, which angered his family and some of his followers. Never was the Divine Right of Kings more fully developed than by the Safavid shahs. Shah Mosque (Royal Mosque), Isfahan, Iran, begun 1611 (photo: Another singular characteristic of Safavid architecture are the colorful tiles that covered exterior faced and interior domes of mosques. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. -This caused tension between the Safavid Empire and Ottoman Empires, which was a Sunni empire. The subjects, even if they sponsored the work, are generally idealized rather than actual persons. The order in Ardabil was founded in the thirteenth century by the Sufi master Zahed Gilani, and little is known about its beliefs and practices in its . is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings An attempt to recapture the territory in 1618 resulted in a devastating loss for the Ottomans. (PDF) The Rise of the Safavids as a Political Dynasty: The Revolution Historians generally agree that the Safavids efforts to convert Muslims in their empire to Shiism utilized coercion and force. For the purposes of this chapter the period to be covered runs from 907/1501 to 1148/1736, one of the most remarkable ages in Iran's history. In 1736, Nader deposed the infant Abbas III and crowned himself shah, bringing the Safavid Empire to an end and establishing the short-lived Afsharid dynasty. inch), 153940 C.E., Tabriz, Kashan, Isfahan or Kirman, Iran, (now at the Victoria & Albert Museum; photo: The Safavids commissioned and built hundreds of monuments during their reign, making them some of the most productive builders in all of Iranian history. In the east, the Mughal dynasty of India had expanded into Afghanistan at the expense of Iranian control, taking Kandahar and Herat. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox. Government of Safavid Empire - John McGarvey He had completely driven out the Afghans, who were still occupying Persia, by 1730. Despite these similarities, however, significant differences . The city center was unique. In other words, the Safavid shahs usurped the function which the Ithn'ashar mujtahids had arrogated to themselves, namely, that of acting as the representative on earth of the Mahd, the Ithn'ashar' messiah. The borders of Iran were secure at the end of Tahmasps reign, but his son and grandson were ineffective leaders who failed to keep the Qizilbash rivalries from once again destabilizing the country, which led to yet more incursions by Ottoman and Uzbek forces. In 1501, the Safavid Shahs declared independence when the Ottomans outlawed Shi'a Islam in their territory. 6 - THE SAFAVID ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM - Cambridge Core Safavids in Persia | Article for mature travellers - Odyssey Travellers There had been, however, Shi'a communities in some cities like Qom and Sabzevar as early as eighth century. What might account for the differences in style between the Safavid and Mughal paintings? The art of the Safavids is simply magnificent. The Ardabil carpet, still one of the largest Persian carpets in existence, was made during the Safavid period. Many of these are now symbols of Iranian nationhood. Tahmasp faced several challenges at home and abroad, however. -Made shitism the official religion of the Safavid Empire. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The main types of buildings constructed during this time were mosques, palaces, markets, shrines and caravansaries (structures used to shelter travelers during long journeys). Later, during the Safavid and especially Qajar period, the role of Shi'a ulema increased and they were able to exercise a role in social and political life independent of the government. This genealogy was most likely invented by court historians during the sixteenth-century reign of Shah Ismail I. The Safavids began not as a political dynasty, but as the hereditary leaders of a Sufi order based in the city of Ardabil, located in todays northwestern Iran. (credit: Shah Isma'il, History of Shah Isma'il, by Mu'in Musavvir, Isfahan, Iran by Muin Musavvir/British Library/Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain), The interior of the Armenian Christian Holy Savior Cathedral in Isfahan, built in 1606, incorporates both Christian imagery, such as scenes from the life of Christ, and Islamic-style decorative tilework. are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written To spread the new beliefs and win converts, Ismail brought Shia scholars to Iran from Lebanon and Syria. New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article The empire's rulers, like the Ottoman rulers, were Muslim, yet the Safavid Empire used religion differently to promote order and stability within its realm. History of the Safavids from Iran Chamber, Artistic and cultural history of the Safavids from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Safavid_Empire&oldid=1092454, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. 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. Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing GRAB THE BEST PAPER 92.2% of users find it useful Based in Iran, the Safavid Empire at its height ruled over much of what is now Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Georgia, and Iraq, as well as parts of several neighboring countries including Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (Figure 4.19). Abbas I reformed the military and civil service and built a showpiece capital city, Isfahan, which remains one of the masterworks of Persian Islamic art and architecture. If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked. Isfahan Define Anarchy Lawless and disorder; no one leader, no government Define Orthodoxy Traditional (not flexible) manner to follow a religion Define Shah King of the Safavid empire Define warfare in the Safavid Empire .They had a system similar to the janissaries. While strongly influenced by Persian miniatures, Mughal miniatures tended to represent a more realistic depiction of animals and humans. They were originally a religious brotherhood who became more powerful because of warlords and political marriages. The Ottomans sued for peace in 1612, relinquishing the Caucasus to the Iranians. The silk industry of early modern Iran was one of the cornerstones of the Safavid economy. Between 1508 and 1524, the year of Ismail's death, the shah appointed five successive Persians to the office of vakil. The Ardabil Carpet, Maqsud of Kashan, Persian: Safavid Dynasty, silk warps and wefts with wool pile (25 million knots, 340 per sq. Like Europe, it has a long history of big empires and small states. Like that of many Sufi orders, their ideology incorporated elements of both Sunni and Shia doctrines to proclaim a universal message and attract followers from both sects. Find out more about saving to your Kindle. While the decoration of each of these buildings varied, the structural composition remained much the same, consisting of domes surrounded by four, Fresco, c. 1597 C.E., Ali Qapu Palace (photo: reibai, CC BY 2.0). of your Kindle email address below. Royal and elite women often funded the construction or maintenance of caravansaries, demonstrating the value of trade to both the state and individual wealth. Safavid dynasty | History, Culture, Religion, & Facts | Britannica citation tool such as, Authors: Ann Kordas, Ryan J. Lynch, Brooke Nelson, Julie Tatlock, Book title: World History Volume 2, from 1400. Complex, ornate palaces. In practice, however, there were well defined limits to this absolutism, even when the shah was a strong and capable ruler. Our mission is to improve educational access and learning for everyone. They wanted to spread "Shiism by military means." They viewed the leader of the Empire with reverence, and they. The Safavids unified much of Iran under single political control. Many of its members were bi- or multilingual, with Azeri Turkish and Persian being the linguae francae of the dynasty. At its zenith, during the long reign of Shah Abbas I, the empire's reach comprised Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and parts of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Here, Bihzad helped establish the birth of a new Safavid aesthetica hybrid of the colorful expressionism and naturalistic rendering of the dynasties that preceded the Safavids. Even those in hereditary positions had to prove themselves capable or be replaced. Bihzad, the famed miniaturist from Herat, was commissioned by Shah Ismail to direct this royal workshop. Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. Capital of the Safavid Empire. A major problem faced by Ismail I after the establishment of the Safavid state was how to bridge the gap between the two major ethnic groups in that state: The Qezelbash Turkmens, the "men of the sword" of classical Islamic society whose military prowess had brought him to power, and the Persian elements, the "men of the pen," who filled the ranks of the bureaucracy and the religious establishment in the Safavid state as they had done for centuries under previous rulers of Persia, be they Arabs, Turkic, Mongols, or Turkmens. Tahmasp also moved his capital from Tabriz to Qazvin, closer to the Caspian Sea and at less risk of capture or siege by Ottoman forces. At the apex of this structure was the shah. The Safavid Empire: Creation, Rulers, Characteristics & Shi'ism One of the most renowned Muslim philosophers, Mulla Sadra (1571-1640), lived during Shah Abbas I's reign and wrote the Asfar, a meditation on what he called "meta philosophy," which brought to a synthesis the philosophical mysticism of Sufism, the theology of Shi'ism, and the Peripatetic and Illuminationist philosophies of Avicenna and Suhrawardi Maqtul (1155-1191). The most popular of these themes was the Persian, The Ardabil Carpet, Maqsud of Kashan, Persian: Safavid Dynasty, silk warps and wefts with wool pile (25 million knots, 340 per sq.