How did the Safavid Empire make money?
The Safavids benefited from their geographical position at the centre of the trade routes of the ancient world. They became rich on the growing trade between Europe and the Islamic civilisations of central Asia and India.
What did the Safavids manufacture and export?
Safavid textiles are praised as the pinnacle of Iranian loom weaving. When the Safavids came to power at the turn of the sixteenth century, the Iranian textile industry was already well developed in the production and sale of woven silk textiles and rugs as well as raw silk for export.
What was the Safavid Empire famous for?
The silk industry of early modern Iran was one of the cornerstones of the Safavid economy. While silk had always been a highly sought after Persian commodity, dating back to ancient times, the Safavid era produced one of the most lucrative silk industries of the early modern world.
What was the Safavid Empire economy based on?
Safavid Iran generated economic growth by capitalizing on transit trade, or the business associated with the passage of goods and services through a territory to their final destination.
Who did Safavid trade with?
Merchants were highly valued for the government supporting them. Iran's domestic trade was in the hands of Iranian Muslim merchants. One of the main export products was silk. Armenian, English and Dutch merchants competed in exporting raw Iranian silk.
What are two trade goods Safavid Empire imported?
Contrastingly, the Safavid Empire relied far more on its trade of raw silk and carpets to account for its minimal farming land.
Did the Safavids trade on the Silk Road?
Commerce has always been central to the growth of Isfahan, to the extent that the Safavid Shah Abbas I (1588-1629) effectively re-routed the Silk Road through Isfahan and made the city his capital so that his empire would enjoy a trading monopoly.
What did the Safavids invent?
After this battle, the Safavids created artillery and other firearms to help in battle. This was in their best interest because of how effective it was in the Battle of Chaldiran. These new weapons in which they created involved portable rifles to heavy cannon.
What weapons did the Safavid use?
659) to 12,000 men (Chardin, V, p. 305; Tavernier noted that in times of need, their number could rise to 50,000). Two types of guns were used by the Safavids: the matchlock (fatīla) and the fire-flint (čaḵmāq).
Did the Safavids use tax farming?
Agricultural crops were taxed directly, in a fashion similar to the traditional ḵarāj.
How did the Safavids collect taxes?
Most taxes were paid in kind and in services, though certain assessments had to be paid in cash. Some were national in scope and collected in regular fashion from the 16th century until the end of the Qajar period. Others were collected only in some provinces or localities and at irregular intervals. The land tax.
What currency did the Safavid Empire use?
ʿAbbāsī (Persian: عباسی) was a name applied to gold and silver coins in Iran first issued by the Safavid shah Abbas I (r. 1588–1629). It was in use until the early 20th century.
What did the Safavids invent?
After this battle, the Safavids created artillery and other firearms to help in battle. This was in their best interest because of how effective it was in the Battle of Chaldiran. These new weapons in which they created involved portable rifles to heavy cannon.
Did the Safavids trade on the Silk Road?
Commerce has always been central to the growth of Isfahan, to the extent that the Safavid Shah Abbas I (1588-1629) effectively re-routed the Silk Road through Isfahan and made the city his capital so that his empire would enjoy a trading monopoly.
What were the Persians major products for trade?
Persia and the Silk Road Sasanian Persia grew to be a major trading power, dealing in silver and silks in particular. Its artisans purchased bolts of raw silk from China to be embellished and sewn into clothing. They then moved their wares westward to feed hungry Greek, Roman, and European markets.
What did the Safavids leave behind?
Despite their demise in 1736, the legacy that they left behind was the revival of Iran as an economic stronghold between East and West, the establishment of an efficient state and bureaucracy based upon "checks and balances", their architectural innovations, and patronage for fine arts.
What was the trade in Iran during the Safavid era?
Trading in the Safavid era was carried out in the form of exchanging goods with goods and exchanging goods with cash (coins of Safavid or foreign silver). Major merchants had their own agents travelling to different areas.
What were the major factors of trade development during the Safavid period?
During the Safavid period, European traders enjoyed many privileges and facilities, such as immunity from customs and customs duties. Foreign merchants were allowed to export any goods except for horses. One of the factors of business development was road security . Merchants should pay tolls and customs duties (up to 10 percent of the price of the goods). In addition, 4% was paid to " Shahbandar " in order to release the goods sooner. Of course, despite the customs of numerous houses and castles for smuggling goods, they smuggled goods.
What was Shah Abbas's main goal?
Some other goals Shah Abbas managed to achieve was the development of the ports of Hormuz and Juran (Bandar Abbas) and establishing security in these important commercial areas.
What were the main exports of Iran?
Iran’s domestic trade was in the hands of Iranian Muslim merchants. One of the main export products was silk. Armenian, English and Dutch merchants competed in exporting raw Iranian silk. Other than silk and textiles, leather, camel and sheep wool, Chinese model dishes, gold and silver artifacts, rugs and precious stones were also exported.
Where did merchants do business?
Major merchants had their own agents travelling to different areas. Some merchants were doing business in distant countries such as Sweden or China .<n’s International Trade in the Safavid Era]</ref> Merchants were highly valued for the government supporting them. Iran’s domestic trade was in the hands of Iranian Muslim merchants.
Where did Russian merchants come from?
Russian merchants were operating in northern cities, as well as Isfahan and Qazvin. From Russia to Iran, they brought all kinds of fur, raw leather, mahogany, linen, printed cotton, copper, iron, Metal and glassware, paper, Fur clothing, honey, wax Sugar, fish, caviar and firearms.
What were the exports of Iran to Turkey?
Exports of Iran to Turkey included tobacco, rough and silk textiles, caning Types of utensils, rugs, steel, iron, diamonds, straw and articles made of wood. India imported from Iran horses, tobacco, all kinds of dried fruit, jam, Pickles, Flower and Fruit Extract, Types of Crocheting and chinaware.
Who were the Safavids?
The Safavids were descended from Sheikh Ṣafī al-Dīn (1253–1334) of Ardabīl, head of the Sufi order of Ṣafaviyyeh (Ṣafawiyyah). Although the early Ṣafavī order was originally Sunni, following the jurisprudence of the Shāfiʿī school, it gravitated toward Shiʿism over time, perhaps pulled along by the popular veneration of ʿAlī.
What was the Safavid Dynasty?
Safavid dynasty, (1501–1736), ruling dynasty of Iran whose establishment of Twelver Shiʿism as the state religion of Iran was a major factor in the emergence of a unified national consciousness among the various ethnic and linguistic elements of the country. The Safavids were descended from Sheikh Ṣafī al-Dīn (1253–1334) of Ardabīl, ...
How long did the Safavid Dynasty last?
After the death of Shah ʿAbbās I (1629), the Safavid dynasty lasted for about a century, but, except for an interlude during the reign of Shah ʿAbbās II (1642–66), it was a period of decline. Eṣfahān fell to the Ghilzai Afghans of Kandahār in 1722. Seven years later Shah Ṭahmāsp II recovered Eṣfahān and ascended the throne, only to be deposed in 1732 by his Afshārid lieutenant Nadr Qolī Beg (the future Nādir Shāh ).
Who defeated the Turks in 1603?
With his new army, ʿAbbās defeated the Turks in 1603, forcing them to relinquish all the territory they had seized, and captured Baghdad. He also expelled (1602, 1622) the Portuguese traders who had seized the island of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf early in the 16th century. ʿAbbās I (the Great) of Persia.
Who supplanted Ak Koyunlu?
In 1501 Ismāʿīl I (reigned 1501–24) supplanted the Ak Koyunlu in Azerbaijan. Within a decade he gained supremacy over most of Iran as a ruler his followers regarded as divinely entitled to sovereignty. The Safavids claimed descent—on grounds that modern research…
What were the Safavids?
According to historians, including Vladimir Minorsky and Roger Savory, the Safavids were of Turkicized Iranian origin:
What legacy did the Safavids leave behind?
Despite their demise in 1736, the legacy that they left behind was the revival of Iran as an economic stronghold between East and West, the establishment of an efficient state and bureaucracy based upon " checks and balances ", their architectural innovations and their patronage for fine arts. The Safavids have also left their mark down to the present era by spreading Twelver Islam in Iran, as well as major parts of the Caucasus, Anatolia, and Mesopotamia .
What countries did the Safavids rule?
The Safavids ruled from 1501 to 1722 (experiencing a brief restoration from 1729 to 1736) and, at their height, they controlled all of what is now Iran, Azerbaijan Republic, Bahrain, Armenia, eastern Georgia, parts of the North Caucasus, Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, as well as parts of Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan .
What was the Safavid Dynasty?
The Safavid dynasty ( / ˈsæfəvɪd, ˈsɑː -/; Persian: دودمان صفوی , romanized : Dudmâne Safavi, pronounced [d̪uːd̪ˈmɒːne sæfæˈviː]) was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran from 1501 to 1736 .
Who wrote the Safavi order?
The hagiography of the founder of the Safavi order, Shaykh Safi al-Din Safvat al-Safa written by Ibn Bazzaz in 1350-was tampered with during this very phase. An initial stage of revisions saw the transformation of Safavi identity as Sunni Kurds into Arab blood descendants of Muhammad.".
What language did the Shahs speak?
By the time of the establishment of the Safavid empire, the members of the family were Turkicized and Turkish-speaking, and some of the Shahs composed poems in their then-native Turkish language. Concurrently, the Shahs themselves also supported Persian literature, poetry and art projects including the grand Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp, while members of the family and some Shahs composed Persian poetry as well.
What was the Safavid Empire?
Safavid Iran or Safavid Persia ( / ˈsæfəvɪd, ˈsɑː -/ ), also referred to as the Safavid Empire, was one of the greatest Iranian empires after the 7th-century Muslim conquest of Persia, ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder empires. The Safavid shahs established the Twelver school of Shia Islam as the official religion of the empire, marking one of the most important turning points in Muslim history .
Who founded the Safaviyya?
Safavid history begins with the establishment of the Safaviyya by its eponymous founder Safi-ad-din Ardabili (1252–1334). In 700/1301, Safi al-Din assumed the leadership of the Zahediyeh, a significant Sufi order in Gilan, from his spiritual master and father-in-law Zahed Gilani. Due to the great spiritual charisma of Safi al-Din, the order was later known as the Safaviyya. The Safavid order soon gained great influence in the city of Ardabil, and Hamdullah Mustaufi noted that most of the people of Ardabil were followers of Safi al-Din.
What were the Safaviyya called?
By this time, the bulk of the Safaviyya were nomadic Oghuz Turkic-speaking clans from Asia Minor and Azerbaijan and were known as Qizilbash "Red Heads" because of their distinct red headgear. The Qizilbash were warriors, spiritual followers of Haydar, and a source of the Safavid military and political power.
How old was Abbas I when he was installed as a shah?
The 16-year-old Abbas I was installed as nominal shah in 1588, but the real power was intended to remain in the hands of his "mentor," Murshid Quli Khan, who reorganized court offices and principal governorships among the Qizilbash and took the title of wakīl for himself. Abbas' own position seemed even more dependent on Qizilbash approval than Mohammad Khodabanda's was. The dependence of Abbas on the Qizilbash (which provided the only military force) was further reinforced by the precarious situation of the empire, in the vice of Ottoman and Uzbek territorial plunder. Yet over the course of ten years Abbas was able, using cautiously-timed but nonetheless decisive steps, to affect a profound transformation of Safavid administration and military, throw back the foreign invaders, and preside over a flourishing of Persian art.
How long did the Qizilbash fight?
The tribal rivalries among the Qizilbash, which temporarily ceased before the defeat at Chaldiran, resurfaced in intense form immediately after the death of Ismāʻil, and led to ten years of civil war (930–040/1524–1533) until Shāh Tahmāsp regained control of the affairs of the state.
What was the goal of the Ottomans in the 1534 and 1548–1549 war?
The goal of the Ottomans in the 1534 and 1548–1549 campaigns, during the 1532–1555 Ottoman–Safavid War, was to install Tahmāsp's brothers (Sam Mirza and Alqas Mirza, respectively) as shah in order to make Iran a vassal state. Although in those campaigns (and in 1554) the Ottomans captured Tabriz, they lacked a communications line sufficient to occupy it for long. Nevertheless, given the insecurity in Iraq and its northwest territory, Tahmāsp moved his court from Tabriz to Qazvin .
Why did Abbas tolerate Christians?
Abbas's tolerance towards Christians was part of his policy of establishing diplomatic links with European powers to try to enlist their help in the fight against their common enemy, the Ottoman Empire. The idea of such an anti-Ottoman alliance was not a new one—over a century before, Uzun Hassan, then ruler of part of Iran, had asked the Venetians for military aid—but none of the Safavids had made diplomatic overtures to Europe. Shah Ismail I was the first of the Safavids to try to establish once again an alliance against the common Ottoman enemy through the earlier stages of the Habsburg–Persian alliance, but this also proved to be largely unfruitful during his reign. Abbas's attitude, however, was in marked contrast to that of his grandfather, Tahmasp I, who had expelled the English traveller Anthony Jenkinson from his court on hearing he was a Christian. For his part, Abbas declared that he "preferred the dust from the shoe soles of the lowest Christian to the highest Ottoman personage." Abbas would take active and all measures needed in order to seal the alliances.
Who were the Safavids?
The Safavids were often artists themselves. Shah Ismail was a poet and Shah Tahmasp a painter. Their patronage, which included opening royal workshops for artists, created a favourable climate for the development of art.
What was the Safavid Empire?
The Safavid Empire lasted from 1501-1722. It covered all of Iran, and parts of Turkey and Georgia. The Safavid Empire was a theocracy. The state religion was Shi'a Islam. All other religions, and forms of Islam were suppressed. The Empire's economic strength came from its location on the trade routes.
How did the Safavids promote Shi'ism?
To promote Shi'ism the Safavids brought in scholars from Shi'ite countries to form a new religious elite. They appointed an official (the Sadr) to co-ordinate this elite - and ensure that it did what the Shah wanted. The religious leaders effectively became a tool of the government.
Why were the Safavids banned?
This was surprising, since the Safavids owed their origins to a Sufi order and to a form of Shi'ism that they now banned. They also reduced the importance of the Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), replacing it with pilgrimage to Shi'ite shrines.
What was Shah Ismail's most important decision?
One of Shah Ismail's most important decisions was to declare that the state religion would be the form of Islam called Shi'ism, that at the time was completely foreign to Iranian culture. The Safavids launched a vigorous campaign to convert what was then a predominantly Sunni population by persuasion and by force.
When did the Safavid Empire become independent?
The Safavid Empire dates from the rule of Shah Ismail (ruled 1501-1524). In 1501, the Safavid Shahs declared independence when the Ottomans outlawed Shi'a Islam in their territory.
Who deposed the Shahs?
With their major enemy keeping quiet, the Safavid Shahs became complacent, and then corrupt and decadent. Power passed to the Shi'a ulama (a religious council of wise men) which eventually deposed the Shahs and proclaimed the world's first Islamic Republic in the eighteenth century. The ulama developed a theory that only a Mujtahid - one deeply learned in the Sharia ( Qur'anic law) and one who has had a blameless life, could rule.
Safavid Empire
The Safavid Empire, which was founded as a political dynasty in 1501, was the second Great Islamic Empire to form. It originated as a religious sect, and it acquired the military and political traits of an empire only after 1501. The Safavid Empire also differed from the Ottoman and Mughal Empires because it was an official Shi’ite empire.
Who were Safavids?
Safavids (1501–1736), the dynasty that took control of Persia in the early 16th century, is often considered the beginning of modern Persian history.
Shah Abbas I (r. 1588-1629)
In 1588, Abbās I (the great) was crowned. Realizing the limits of his military strength, Shah Abbas made peace with the Ottomans on exceptional terms in 1590 and directed his destructive attacks against the Uzbeks. Meeting with little success, Abbas engaged in a major army reform.
Fall of the Safavid Dynasty
After Shah Abbas the Great died in 1629, his successors ruled for about a century, but, except for an interval during the reign of Shah Abbas II (1642–66), it was a period of decline.
Safavid Art
Usually in Iran, the royal family and people from the upper social classes applied for works of art and helped it to flourish. The Safavid kings were also lovers of art, and some of them, such as Shah Tahmasp I and prince Sam Mirza, were themselves expert artists and held art in high esteem.
Overview
Trading in the Safavid era was carried out in the form of exchanging goods with goods and exchanging goods with cash (coins of Safavid or foreign silver).
Major merchants had their own agents travelling to different areas. Some merchants were doing business in distant countries such as Sweden or China. Merchants were highly valued for the government supporting them. Iran’s domestic trade was in the hands of Iranian Muslim merchan…
Genealogy—ancestors of the Safavids and its multi-cultural identity
Safavid Shahs of Iran
The Safavid dynasty was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder empires. The Safavid Shāh Ismā'īl I established the Twelver denomination of Shīʿa Islam as the official religion of the Persian Empire, marking one of the most important turning points in the history …
Culture
The Safavid Kings themselves claimed to be sayyids, family descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, although many scholars have cast doubt on this claim. There seems now to be a consensus among scholars that the Safavid family hailed from Iranian Kurdistan, and later moved to Iranian Azerbaijan, finally settling in the 11th century CE at Ardabil. Traditional pre-1501 Safavid manuscripts trace the lineage of the Safavids to the Kurdish dignitary, Firuz-Shah Zarrin-Kolah.
See also
• Ismail I 1501–1524
• Tahmasp I 1524–1576
• Ismail II 1576–1578
• Mohammad Khodabanda 1578–1587
Bibliography
The Safavid family was a literate family from its early origin. There are extant Tati and Persian poetry from Shaykh Safi ad-din Ardabili as well as extant Persian poetry from Shaykh Sadr ad-din. Most of the extant poetry of Shah Ismail I is in Azerbaijani pen-name of Khatai. Sam Mirza, the son of Shah Ismail as well as some later authors assert that Ismail composed poems both in Turk…
Further reading
• Khanates of the Caucasus
• List of Shi'a Muslim dynasties
• Persianate states
• Safavid art
• Safavid conversion of Iran to Shia Islam
External links
• Blow, David (2009). Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King Who Became an Iranian Legend. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-0857716767.
• Jackson, Peter; Lockhart, Laurence, eds. (1986). The Timurid and Safavid Periods. The Cambridge History of Iran. Vol. 6. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521200943.