Safavid Empire Alex Chambers, Parker Thiel, Browning Dunn

Social Women: Seldom in public (veiling of women) Private sections of the home Islamic law did allow women to retain property after marriage. Men: Had all rights Were supposed to be well rounded (like Renaissance men) Family / Kinship The Safavid family was a literate family. The social role of economics in the Safavid Empire was an important. There was a great chain of being for the people in the society.

Political  Like the Ottoman Empire, the Safavids emerged following the struggles of the Mongols.  Of the Muslim empires, the Safavids adopted Shi'ite theology.  The political structure of the Safavid empire was originally started as military based government.  The Safavid state was one of checks and balance, both within the government and on a local level. At the apex of this system was the Shah, with total power over the state.  Nationalism played an important role in the Safavid Empire’s rise.  The empire was brought down due to Shah Abbas not finding a successor.

Interaction  In the 11th and 12th centuries, a large migration of Oghuz Turks, not only Turkified Azerbaijan, but also Anatolia.  Azeri Turks were the founders of Safavid dynasty.  It is probable that the Safavid family originated in Persian Kurdistan, and then later moved to Azerbaijan.  The Safavid family adopted the Azari form of the Turkish spoken there. Eventually they settled in the small town of Ardabil during the eleventh century.

Culture  Safavid culture is often admired for the large-scale city planning and the advanced architecture.  The arts played a large role in the Safavid Empire. Persian rugs, book-binding, and writing  Even Shahs themselves supported Persian literature, poetry, and art projects. One of the most famous art projects included the Grand Shahnama, of Shah Tahmasp)  Members of the family had a strong belief in literacy. Some Shahs created their own Persian poetry.  The main philosophy / idea of the Safavid Empire was making the people literate. School was extremely important.

Economics  Subsistence farming and herding major employment  No significant manufacturing sector to speak of  Got silk fabrics from the north to make carpets and other things  No interest in building agricultural economy for same reasons as Ottomans  Grew many kinds of fruits and vegetables that were never herd of in Europe  Best known trade routes were the silk road and the Persian Gulf

The End ( النهاية ) ( Son )