Safavid Empire
Overview
Statewide Dual Credit Modern World History: Unit 5, Lesson 2
Discussion of the Safavid Empire, established in 1501 by Ismail I which reached its peak under Shah Abbas I who implemented centralizing reforms. However, the empire declined rapidly after Abbas's reign due to internal conflicts, external pressures, and economic instability, ultimately collapsing in 1722.
In 1501, Ismail I (1487-1524) conquered large swaths of Persia establishing the Safavid Empire. Previous to his gaining control of Persia, much of Iran had been in the hands of Arab leaders. After a series of military victories, the 14-year-old Ismail proclaimed himself the shah (king) of Iran.
Ismail declared that the Safavid Empire would follow Shia Islam, a decision that not only defined the religious identity of the state but also served as a political counter to the Sunni Ottoman Empire. To ensure that religion and religious teaching aligned with the interests of the state, Ismail recruited religious scholars from outside his borders who had no community ties and would be loyal to him and the state. Anxious to increase his army, Ismail actively recruited Qizilbash (nomadic Turkish Sufis) by granting them vast grazing lands in return for military support.
Considered the most successful Safavid ruler, Shah Abbas I’s (r. 1588-1629) reforms helped to strengthen and solidify the empire. Worried about the growing power of the Qizilbash, Abbas created a new gunpowder army funded by the state. Similar to the devshirme system in the Ottoman Empire, enslaved people, largely drawn from the Caucasus region, were converted to Islam, selected to serve a particular branch of the state, and were expected to be loyal only to the shah. This not only strengthened the army, but allowed Abbas to centralize power in the throne, allowing him to carry out his reforms and to defend and expand the empire. Abbas drove the Ottomans out of Iraq and Azerbaijan and checked their power by making alliances with European powers.
Worried about conspiracy, Shah Abbas ordered the blinding, murder, or imprisonment of several family members, including his father, brothers and sons. In 1615, Shah Abbas ordered that his son and heir be executed after being told that his son had been part of a conspiracy that sought to remove him from the throne.
Two of his other sons would be blinded. Eventually, Shah Abbas selected his grandson Sam Mirza (from his eldest son) to succeed him, which he did (as Shah Safi) in 1629. The achievements of Shah Abbas in protecting the Safavids are marred by his disastrous family relations and the instability brought by constant intrigues and power struggles.
After Abbas, the Safavid Empire rapidly declined. Abbas’ successors struggled against encroaching powers, especially the Ottomans and the Uzbeks (a Turkic people who had conquered much of Central Asia). Tensions between the Ottomans and Uzbeks had a religious component, as both the Ottomans and Uzbeks followed Sunni Islam. Beset by bad governance, an unstable and struggling economy, and religious tensions, the Safavid Empire could no longer hold. In 1722, an Afghan leader sacked the Safavid capital Isfahan forcing the abdication of Husayn I (r. 1694-1722). A brief period of revival occurred under Nadir Shah (r. 1736-1747), who made the official religion Sunni Islam. Although Nadar Shah’s impressive conquests, including parts of India, temporarily saved the Safavids, they ultimately drained the empire’s finances. After the collapse of the Safavid Empire, the region would be plunged into years of instability.