The Safavid Empire of Iran
Safavid empire after Safaviya
• Sufi order – what is Sufism
• Shia Islam vs. Sunni
• What is the “Hidden Imam” in Shia
Islam?
What observations can you make about the location, resources, and orientation of
the Safavid Empire?
Draw in the Islamic Empires on your map
Geography of Safavid Empire
• Almost entirely in modern Iran & Iraq
• East of Ottomans – oriented to East
• Capital of Isfahan land-locked (compare to
Constantinople)
• Silk Road connection
• Trade in Gulf of Hormuz (Indian Ocean
Network), but no maritime territory
Political Form of State
• Ruler as stand-in for “Hidden Imam” - Shah
• Influence of religious leaders (continues today)
descendent from Muhammad (Ayatollahs)
• Very high taxes to pay for military
Ayatollah Khomeini
Military
• Originally mounted Turkic
warriors
• After establishing empire created
elite gunpowder core of slaves
• Border conflicts with Ottoman
and Moghul empires
• Invasions from Afghanistan, e.g.
Nadir Shah
• Totally land-based – no navy
Economy
• Marginal trade – capital located inland (tried
to encourage trade, but not great location)
Religion
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Enforced Shia Islam violently
Mullahs given state support, supervised
Education in madrasas supervised by state
Resulted in Iran & parts of Iraq being Shia
Architecture - Isfahan
• Built fantastic capital city at Isfahan
• Used Persian style Islamic architecture, e.g.
blue tiles and ornate design
• Smaller but more elaborate than Ottoman
architecture