Safavid Empire

Safavid Empire Dates

The following timeline provides a brief progression of the Safavid Empire's reign. The Empire fell in 1722 but was restored in 1729. In 1736, the Safavid Dynasty had come to a final end following two centuries of dominance in Iran.

• 1501 CE: Founding of the Safavid Dynasty by Shah Ishmael I. He expands his territories over the next decade.

• 1524 CE: Shah Tahmasp replaces his father Shah Ishamel I.

• 1555 CE: Shah Tahmasp makes peace with the Ottomans in the Peace of Amasya after years of conflict.

• 1602 CE: A Safavid diplomatic group travels to the court of Spain, establishing a Safavid connection to Europe.

• 1587 CE: Shah Abbas I, the most notable Safavid ruler, takes the throne.

• 1622 CE: Four British East India Companies assist the Safavids in retaking the Strait of Ormuz from the Portuguese.

• 1629 CE: Shah Abbas I dies.

• 1666 CE: Shah Abbas II dies. The Safavid Empire is in decline under the pressure of its neighboring powers.

• 1736 CE: Final end of the Safavid Dynasty

Safavid Empire Activities

The Safavid Empire was built upon and thrived through continuous military conquest. Shah Ishmael I, the first Shah and founder of the Safavid Dynasty, conquered Azerbaijan in 1501, followed by Hamadan, Shiraz, Najaf, Baghdad, and Khorasan, among others. Within a decade of creating the Safavid Dynasty, Shah Ishmael had captured almost all of Persia for his new empire.

Fig. 2- Art depicting a Safavid soldier, called a 'Qizilbash'.

The Qizilbash were an Oghuz Turk Shia military group loyal to Shah Ishmael I and were essential to his victories against his enemies. But the Qizilbash were as ingrained within politics as they were in warfare. One of Shah Abbas I's many decisions as ruler of the Safavids was the reformation of the Safavid military. He established a royal military equipped with gunpowder rifles and loyal only to the shah. Notably, Shah Abbas I copied the Ottoman's Janissaries military group in establishing his own caste of foreign slave soldiers, called the Ghulam.

The Safavids were almost always at war with their neighbors. For two hundred years the Sunni Islamic Ottomans and Shia Islamic Safavids battled in Iraq, capturing, losing, and recapturing the city of Baghdad in their many confrontations. At the height of Shah Abbas I's reign in the early 17th century, the Safavids held power in eastern Persia (including Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan), as well as Georgia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

Safavid Empire Administration

Although the Safavid Shahs obtained their power through family inheritance, the Safavid Empire greatly valued meritocracy in its administrative efforts. The Safavid Empire was divided into three groups: the Turks, the Tajiks, and Ghulams. The Turks typically held power within the militaristic ruling elite, while the Tajiks (another name for people of Persian descent) held power in governing offices. The Safavid Dynasty was inherently Turkish, but it openly promoted Persian culture and language within its administration. The Ghulams (the slave military caste mentioned before) rose to various high-level positions by proving their competence in battle organization and strategy.

Safavid Empire Art and Culture

Fig. 3- Shahnameh art piece from 1575 depicting Iranians playing chess.

Under the reign of Shah Abbas I and Shah Tahmasp, Persian culture experienced a period of great rejuvenation. Funded by their Turkish rulers, the Persians created fantastic art pieces and wove famous silken Persian rugs. New architecture projects were based on old Persian designs, and Persian literature saw a resurgence.

Religion of the Safavid Empire

The Safavid Empire was devoted to the Shia branch of Islam. The main differentiating belief of Shia Islam from Sunni Islam is the belief that the Islamic religious leaders should be direct descendants of Muhammed (whereas the Sunni believed that they should be able to elect their religious leader). The Safavid Dynasty claimed ancestry from Muhammed, but historians dispute this claim.

Fig. 4- Quran from the Safavid Dynasty.

The Shia Muslim religion was influential in Safavid art, administration, and warfare. To this day, the heated rivalry between the Shia and Sunni sects of Islam continues in the Middle East, in many ways fueled by conflicts between the Sunni Ottomans and Shia Safavids.

The Downfall of the Safavid Empire

The decline of the Safavid Empire is marked by the death of Shah Abbas II in 1666 CE. By then, tensions between the Safavid dynasty and their many enemies within captured territories and neighboring states were reaching their zenith. Its local enemies were the Ottomans, Uzbeks, and even Muscovy Russia, but new enemies were encroaching from afar.

Fig. 5- 19th century art depicting the Safavids battling the Ottomans.

In 1602, a Safavid embassy traveled through Europe, making contact with the court of Spain. Just twenty years later, the Portuguese seized control of the Strait of Ormuz, an important seaway passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea. With the help of the British East India Company, the Safavids pushed the Portuguese out of their territory. But the significance of the event was clear: Europe was taking control of trade in the Middle East through their maritime dominance.

The wealth of the Safavid Empire plummeted along with their influence. By the early 18th century, the Safavids were on the precipice of destruction. The power of the Safavid government declined, and its neighboring enemies pushed into its borders, seizing territory until the Safavids were no more.