The Safavids

The Safavids

  • Originated in the Safavid order of Sufism in northern Azerbaijan (Iran).

  • Early military hero: Ismail.

  • Ismail conquered most of Persia and pushed into Iraq.

  • At 14 or 15 years old, he conquered all of Iran.

  • Proclaimed shah (king/emperor) in 1501.

Challenges and Rise to Power

  • Two main problems:

    • Lack of a real navy despite being on the Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean).

    • Lack of natural defenses.

  • Rose to power in the 1500s due to:

    • Land-based military might.

    • Strong leadership.

Shah Abbas I (Abbas the Great)

  • Ruled 1588-1629; Safavid Empire at its height.

  • Troops included Christian boys pressed into service, even from Georgia in Russia.

  • Imported weaponry from Europe.

  • Relied on European advisors for military technology.

  • Gradual control over religion and politics by the shahs.

Shi'a Islam as a Unifying Force

  • Shah Ismail used Shi'a Islam to build a power base.

  • Denied legitimacy to any Sunni. → Religious Intolerance

  • Strict adherence to Shi'a Islam caused frequent hostilities with the Sunni Ottoman Empire.

  • In 1541, Safavid forces were stopped by the Ottomans at Tabriz (to assert dominance for the overland trade routes), a city that became part of the border between Sunni and Shi'a societies.

  • Hostilities continue in present-day Iraq and Iran.

Conflicts Beyond Religion

  • Conflicts with Ottomans also arose over control of overland trade routes.

  • Ottomans used trade embargoes (official bans on trade) against Safavid silk traders to assert dominance.

Women in the Safavid Empire

  • Rarely mentioned in local Safavid histories.

  • Permitted to participate in societies.

  • Veiled and restricted in movement, but had access to rights from Islamic law.

  • Rights included inheritance and, in extreme cases, divorce.

Safavid Decline

  • Ineffectual leaders after Shah Abbas.

  • Lavish lifestyles and military spending combined with falling revenues weakened the economy.

  • In 1722, Safavid forces could not quell a rebellion by oppressed Sunni Pashtuns in present-day Afghanistan.

  • Afghan forces sacked Isfahan (capital of the Safavid empire in Iran known for it’s architecture), and their leader, Mahmud, declared himself Shah of Persia.

  • The Safavid Dynasty nominally remained in control, but chaos impeded centralization and tax collection.

  • Ottomans and Russians seized territories.

  • The Safavid Dynasty declined rapidly and was replaced by the Zand Dynasty in 1760.