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How the Safavid Empire forged today’s nation
Iran, formerly known as Persia, is a nation that swims upstream. Iran speaks Persian in a region where many nations speak Arabic and upholds Shia Islam where many nearby nations prefer the Sunni branch. These and many other factors are the results of the Safavid Empire’s impact on Iran.
The Safavid Empire ruled Iran from 1501–1736. They ruled in a world that had been deeply altered. The Mongol invasions had destroyed the larger Islamic society and had instead centered power on ethnic Turkish peoples. The Persian lands at the time were a peripheral power, which allowed the Safavi order to build a strong following. The Safavis were Sufis, which means that they were Muslim mystics who wanted a personal connection with God. The Safavis used this time outside of the spotlight to become a powerful force.
Like many other great powers, the Mongols had made many enemies. Ismāʿīl I, the sixth leader of the Safavis, organized forces of disaffected Turks and his own followers and set up a base of power in Azerbaijan. From his redoubt, he captured the majority of Iran and was able to spread his control to the provinces of Baghdad and Mosul, which are in modern-day Iraq. As a result of his efforts, he was named Shah of Iran, which is a title meaning ruler of Iran. The last person to use this title was Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi who was disposed of on February 11th, 1979 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during the Iranian Revolution. The Iranian Revolution upheld Iran as a Shiite Muslim theocracy and as it remains today.
Gunpowder Empire
Initially, the Safavids had great success in the military realm, but further success was inconsistent at best. The Safavids continued to battle against both the Ottomans and Uzbeks, which resulted in losses of some of the territories which they had gained. Under Abbas I the empire made peace with the Ottomans to focus their energies on defeating the Uzbeks. They also attempted to remake their military with the creation of three new armies and a focus on the technology of gunpowder.
The Safavids became a gunpowder empire, meaning that they were an Asian power that used firearms to conquer and control territory. Their newly engineered capabilities allowed them to reverse some of the gains of the Ottomans, but they would eventually fall to continued incursions including those from modern-day Afghanistan. Their continued efforts, however, were a boon for Europe as the continuing Ottoman-Safavid wars reduced Ottoman strength and may have prevented them from advancing farther into Europe.
Arts and Culture
The effects of the Safayad Empire were profound and wide-ranging. Shah Abbas moved his capital from Qazvin to Esfahan where he focused all of the artistic talents of his nation. He tapped into the artistic talents of past empires which allowed his empire to be viewed as their heirs as well as focusing on creative projects such as ceramics, carpets, gardens, and glasswork. The new capital, Esfahan, has been known as “Nisfi Jahan” or “Half the World”. The two signature achievements of their architectural endeavors were the Chahar Bagh avenue and the Naqshe Jahan Square.
It was important to Persia to establish an architectural style that exhibited the culture of their nation. Traditionally, the iwan was a three-walled structure with towers surrounding it with the fourth side open, but the Persian architecture enclosed the fourth side. Encyclopedia writer Pegah Malek-Ahmadi mentions, “The Persians already had a rich architectural legacy, and the distinct shape of the iwan was inspired by the earlier Sassanid palace-designs (previous dynasty that ruled Persia), such as the Palace of Ardashir.” The entrances in the walls acted as gateways to heaven.
Design was central to Persian architecture. While domes had been used in other cultures, the Persians included colorful light-reflecting tiles. They initiated the process of firing the tiles while they are on the wall and in symmetric patterns and used marble as a decorative and structural element.
Persian Language
Persian was the language of court for the Safavid Empire. While there were other languages spoken within the empire including by the ruling elite, Persian was the language of court, history, literature, poetry, and inscribed on money. This official use of the Persian language helped to create a unified culture across the nation.
Shiite Islam
The Safavid Empire formalized the Twelver Shi’ah, the largest branch of Shiite Islam, as the religion of the realm. The Shiite believe that Ali should have been the successor to Muhammed and are eagerly awaiting a return of a twelfth imam or teacher to lead them. Ismail detested Sunni Islam, the rival branch, and wanted to abolish it in any lands which he controlled.
The benefits which Shiite Islam offered are multifaceted. Encapsulating his nation in Shiite Islam allowed him to create a separate identity from the two rival Sunni powers around him, the Ottoman Empire and the Uzbeks. This identity allowed for the creation of a unique and unifying Persian culture which established a nation-state that today is still a Shiite oasis in a Middle Eastern Sunni sea.
Conclusion
The Safavid Empire was an essential part of Iranian history and greatly responsible for the cultural components of the nation of Iran today. Iran today owes its religion, culture, sense of nationhood, as well as its arts and culture to the Safavid Empire, and the effects that their influence has had remains a powerful force on the Middle East today through the modern-day nation of Iran.
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