SAFAVID EMPIRE

• The Safavids came to power after they filled  a power vacuum after the demise of the Turko Mongolian Tamarind Dynasty in 1506. They were Shia, and they used their belief systems to maintain power. This is why 95% of people in the Safavids were Shia. Because of their belief, they mainly clashed with empires who were Sunni, such as the Ottoman Empire and some of the Sunni people in the Mughal Empire.
• What type of Islam was practiced by the founders and the majority of the people in the Persian Safavid empire, and what about most of their neighbors?

  • Shi’a was practiced among the people in the Safavid Empire. However, the neighbors practiced Sunni Islam, which led to several conflicts, especially with the Ottoman Empire
• Why was the region of Persia (modern-day Iran) so diverse at the time of the founding of the Safavid empire?

  • Persia was diverse due to its geographical location, which facilitated cultural exchange and migration from surrounding regions like Central Asia and the Middle East
• What was the Mahdi within the Safavid Islamic tradition?

  • a messianic figure believed to bring justice and righteousness, often associated with the twelfth Imam in Shia Islam
• How was marriage strategic and political among the Safavid Qezilbash ("Red Turban") ruling elite?

  • marriage formed alliances and consolidating power within the Qezilbash tribes
• What neighboring state fought with the Safavids the most and why?

  • The Ottomans were the neighboring state that fought with the Safavids the most due to territorial disputes and religious differences between Sunni and Shia Islam
• What were the tools the Safavid rulers used to govern this large and diverse state? How effective were those strategies?

  • Safavid rulers used a combination of centralized authority, religious legitimacy, and military power to govern their diverse state, but the effectiveness of these strategies varied over time
• The Islamic tradition is very diverse, with many different groups practicing Islam in different ways. How important do you think religious diversity within the Islamic world was in the history of the Safavid empire?

  • Religious diversity within the Islamic world was important in Safavid history, as the empire's Shia identity clashed with neighboring Sunni powers, leading to conflicts and shaping its political and cultural landscape