The Rule of the Safavids

1. The Rule of theSafavids Chapter 15-2

2. The Safavid Empire • Prior to the sixteenth century much of Persia, modern day Iran, as well as central Asia was in chaos • A new dynasty known as the Safavids would come in & take control • The Safavids were ardent Shia Muslims, as compared to the majority of the Muslims who were Sunnis • This dynasty was founded by Shah Esma il • While still in his teens Esma seized much of Iran & Iraq in 1501 • He called himself shah or king of the new Persian state • He sent preachers to the Ottoman Empire to convert the Sunni Muslims there • When people refused they were massacred

3. The Safavid Empire • Alarmed by the activities of the Safavid’s the Ottomans attacked them in Persia at the battle of Tabriz • The Ottomans won the battle but Selim could not maintain control allowing Esma to regain control a few years later • In subsequent years the Safavids attempted to consolidate their rule but ran into problems when they attempted to integrate the Turkish peoples with the Persian speaking population of the urban centers • To remedy this the Shia faith was used as a unifying force as it was made mandatory for the largely Sunni Turks

4. The Safavid Empire • Those that opposed the conversion were exiled or killed • Like the Turkish Sultan the Shah claimed to be the religious leader of all Islam • By 1580 the Turks had had enough & went on attack capturing Azerbaijan forcing the Shah to sign a peace treaty in which he conceded a large amount of territory in the northwest • The Safavid capital was moved from Tabriz to Esfahan where it became on of the worlds largest cities

5. Glory and Decline • Under the rule of Shah Abbas the Safavids reached their high point • As did the Ottomans Abbas used trained administrators to run the country as well as strengthen the army by supplying them with the latest technology when it came to weapons • In the early seventeenth century Abbas moved against the Ottomans in an attempt to regain lost territory • The Safavids had some early success but could not hold all their gains so they signed a peace agreement that returned Azerbaijan to the Safavid empire

6. Glory and Decline • After the death of Abbas in 1629 the Safavids began to lose its power • Future leaders did not have the talent or political skills of Abbas to lead as the power of Shia religious groups began to increase within the court • There was also pressure to conform to traditional religious beliefs • Safavid territory was invaded & lost • The Safavid capital of Esfahan was invaded & seized by the Afghan army • The Turks also seized territory along its western border • Persia sank into a period of political & social anarchy

7. Life Under the Safavids • Persia under the Safavids was a mixed society of combination of Persian & Turkish elements • The Safavid rulers were generally supported by the Shia’s in return for the Shia religion being declared the state religion • The shahs were strong minded & firmly controlled the power of the landed aristocracy • In addition positions in the bureaucracy was based on merit rather than birth • When it came to trade the shahs maintained an active role in marinating trade routes & protecting goods from thieves • Safavid culture or knowledge of science, medicine, & mathematics was equal to other societies of the region • In the arts Persia witnessed extraordinary growth especially when it came to silk & carpet weaving