1. The Rule of the Safavids
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