Safavid dynasty

Culture " Buzurjmihr Masters the Hindu Game of Chess", from the Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp , dated c.  1530–35 After the fall of the Sasanian Empire in the 7th century, the idea of Iran as a political state ceased to exist, but it continued to shape Iranian national sentiment. Under the Mongol Ilkhanate (1256–1335), this notion was revived. [ 1 ] After settling firmly in Iran, the Mongols actively supported its cultural heritage, centering their patronage on the Shahnameh . This development was aided by the emergence of the New Persian language as the predominant cultural language in this large region. During the Safavid period, these factors came together, and the Safavids collected and directed centuries of cultural achievements. This preserved heritage proved resilient, enduring both the turmoil after the Safavid government collapsed and the aggressive rise of Russian culture following the early 19th century Russo-Iranian Wars . [ 2 ] Especially in urban areas, Safavid literature and Persian poetry connected the past, including the pre-Islamic past, to the present and functioned as a body of shared cultural traditions for both the common people and the elite. The legendary pre-Islamic Iranian past, with kings battling eternal forces of evil in Iran's national epic , the Shahnameh , was connected to the Islamic Safavid present, which had its own strong symbols of righteousness and redemption. [ 3 ] The Safavids revitalized the Guarded Domains of Iran . [ 4 ] The idea of the "Guarded Domains" was formed by a feeling of territorial and political uniformity in a society with shared cultural elements such as the Persian language, monarchy, and Shia Islam . [ 5 ] In addition to supporting an advanced Persian material culture, the Safavids contributed to the development of an Islamic philosophical and theological heritage. The Safavids established trade and diplomatic ties with Europe, introducing Iran to Western developments for the first time. [ 4 ] The Safavid dynasty regarded Iran, both as a territory and as a concept, as under their rule and divinely protected. The name "Iran" occurs rarely in early chronicles, suggesting that its location was considered too evident to require frequent mention. [ 6 ] The attention to "Iran" as a unified entity, shielded by the Iranian army, increased somewhat under the reign of Shah Abbas I , who defended the country from external opponents while reducing the autonomy of outlying areas and islands. Iran, seemingly, was recognized without formal proclamation. [ 6 ] Over the following 500 years, Iranian-Shia identity was grounded in the simultaneous observance of Ashura (mourning the death of Husayn ibn Ali) and Nowruz (Iranian New Year), a combination consolidated under the Safavids. [ 7 ] ^ Melville 2019 , p. 42. ^ Matthee 2021 , p. 84. ^ Matthee 2009 , pp. 243–244. ^ a b Amanat 2017 , p. 35. ^ Amanat 1997 , p. 15. ^ a b Matthee 2021 , p. 95. ^ Ashraf 2006 . Read more on Wikipedia →

Legacy and assessment A statue of Shah Abbas I , which was on display in Isfahan before the Iranian Revolution Iran's modern period is often linked to the Safavid dynasty, which also laid the groundwork for the Iranian nation-state. Under them, Iran became a unified political entity, while its largely tribal and nomadic population became settled, relying on agriculture and trade for revenue. Patrimonial kingship, which combined territorial authority with religious legitimacy, was introduced by the Safavids and, with some modifications, endured until the 20th century. [ 1 ] The political system that emerged under them had overlapping political and religious boundaries and a core language, Persian, which served as the literary tongue, and even began to replace Arabic for theological conversation. Well into the Qajar era, some administrative institutions established during the Safavid era or modified from earlier periods continued to exist. Iran and Europe first began regular, long-term diplomatic and commercial exchanges during the Safavid era. [ 1 ] The Reformation in northern and central Europe and the Counter-Reformation that followed it are comparable to the state-sponsored Shia Islam that resulted from the advent of the Safavids and the Sunni response to it. The split that resulted between the Sunnis and Shias is similar to the Protestant-Catholic split that accelerated the formation of nation-states in Europe. [ 2 ] The emergence of the Safavid state and its adoption of Shia Islam as the official faith was a pivotal moment that significantly affected both Iran and the surrounding Sunni-majority regions. [ 3 ] The conversion to a state-sponsored religion, in this case Shia Islam, provided the bond required to hold together the fundamental elements of Safavid state, similar to other early states such as Spain and England. [ 4 ] Iran was largely shaped into a geographical empire with a unique identity due to the fusion of religious and political elements by the Safavid dynasty. [ 5 ] ^ a b Matthee 2008 . ^ Amanat 2017 , pp. 37–38. ^ Amanat 2017 , pp. 33–34. ^ Amanat 2017 , p. 75. ^ Amanat 2017 , p. 59. Read more on Wikipedia →