(G.P) Safavid

• Mughal-Safavid Trade


  Safavids traded goods, especially textiles and carpets, with Mughals.
• Safavid-European Trade


  Safavids traded with European merchants, especially Portuguese, and received luxury goods.
• Safavid-Ottoman Relations


  Safavids fought border wars and had cultural exchange with Ottomans.
• Safavid Empire


  A Shia Persian Empire that ruled modern-day Iran from 1501 to 1736.
• What was the time period of the Safavid Empire in Persia?

  1501-1760
• Why was it difficult for the Safavid Empire to expand?

  They had no real navy and lacked natural defenses
• Who was Shah Abbas I and what was his strategy for expansion?

  Shah Abbas I used imported weapons from Europe to expand toward the Ottoman Empire
• What was the outcome of the armies clashing during Shah Abbas I's expansion efforts?

  The armies clashed as Shah Abbas I tried to expand farther in Persia toward the Ottoman Empire
• What was the primary unifying force in the Safavid Empire?

  Shi’a Islam
• How did the Safavid shahs use Shi’a Islam in their governance?

  They used it to control religion and political structure
• What was the consequence of strict adherence to Shi’a policies in the Safavid Empire?

  It became law
• What were the key features of the Safavid Empire's governance and cultural expression?

  • Shi’a Islam as a unifying force
  • Control over religion and political structure by shahs
  • Strict adherence to Shi’a policies as law
  • Use of architecture to showcase power
• In what way did the Safavid Empire showcase its power through architecture?

  By using architecture to display their authority
• What was the dominant religion in the Safavid Empire?

  Shi’a Islam
• How did the Safavid Empire approach religious tolerance?

  There was no tolerance for other religions
• What action did Ismail I take regarding the Sunni population in the Safavid Empire?

  He made conversion to Shi’a Islam mandatory
• What does the mandatory conversion enforced by Ismail I indicate about the Safavid Empire's policies?

  It indicates a strict enforcement of religious conformity
• Who was the leader that established the Safavid Empire?

  Shah Ismail I
• What was Shah Ismail I known for in terms of leadership?

  He was a charismatic and ambitious leader
• How did Shah Ismail I consolidate his power?

  By unifying various Turkic and Persian-speaking tribes under Twelver Shi’a Islam
• In what year did Shah Ismail I declare himself Shah of Iran?

  1501
• What significant event occurred in 1501 regarding the Safavid Empire?

  The establishment of the Safavid Empire
• During which centuries did the Safavid Empire flourish in Persia?

  16th to 18th Centuries
• What was the distinct religious identity of the Safavid Empire rooted in?

  Twelver Shia Islam
• Who was the first ruler of the Safavid Empire to embrace Shiism?

  Shah Ismail I
• What role did Shiism play for the Safavid rulers and their subjects?

  It served as a unifying force
• What pivotal moment is associated with Ismail I in the Safavid Empire?

  His conversion to Twelver Shia Islam
• What was significant about the Safavid dynasty in the Islamic world?

  It was the first Shia dynasty
• What became the official state religion of the Safavid Empire?

  Twelver Shia Islam
• How did the Safavid rulers view their roles?

  As both political leaders and spiritual figures
• From whom did the Safavid rulers claim descent to draw legitimacy?

  The family of Prophet Muhammad through the Twelve Imams
• What title did the Shahs of Safavid Persia adopt to express their spiritual authority?

  Shadow of God on Earth
• What characterized the Safavid Empire's religious policies?

  Propagation and enforcement of Twelver Shia Islam
• What was encouraged among the populace by the Safavid rulers?

  Conversion to Shia Islam
• What practices were discouraged or suppressed by the Safavid rulers?

  Sunni practices
• How did the Safavid rulers support Shia learning and practice?

  By patronizing religious scholars and building mosques, shrines, and schools
• Which city became a center of Safavid cultural and religious achievement under Shah Abbas the Great?

  Isfahan
• What characterized the architectural projects in Isfahan during the Safavid Empire?

  They were grand and devoted to Shia scholarship