Safavid

=**//THE SAFAVID EMPIRE (1501-1722) by://**=
 * //Matt Sachs//**
 * //John Herrmann//**
 * //Josh Bayer//**
 * //Tucker Van Buren//**
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Introduction:
Based in modern day Iran, the Safavid Empire ruled the region for more than 200 years, mostly consisting of Shiite Muslims. Originally lead by Ismail, they conquered thousands of square miles under their young leader. He was able to create religious unity among his people by proclaiming Shiite Islam as the state religion. Later, constant conflict with the Ottomans caused Shah Abbas I to forge alliances with England to control the city of Baghdad. After Shah Abbas' death, the Safavids declined and the architectural center and capital Isfahan was conquered by Afghans.

Social:
 During the Renaissance in Europe, all civilizations were going through changes in the social structure. In Persia, trade routes were established and a middle class was developed. Consisting of aristocrats the middle class was few but still recognizable. With these few things the social life in Persia was a lot easier for the people. The ruling was made up by a form a government called meritocracy, this made for selection of rule based on worth and merit. and while sons of rulers were sometimes selected, they had to prove themselves worthy first.

 Persia consisted of a hierarchy, with Shah; nobles/wealthy, on top and peasants and merchants on bottom, with aristocrats and religious officials in between. unlike he Europeans, the Persians did not enjoy physical activity, but exercised to keep themselves in shape. Persians often would acquire skills in wielding arms, first being archery, second being fencing, keeping the wrists strong but agile and flexible. Third being horsemanship, used mainly for hunting, which the Persians enjoyed and participated in widely. The main religious aspects of the Safavids was Shia, with these views the people were influenced mainly by the teaching's of the Quran. The people believed that only god could choose the leader and protector of Iran.

The effects of the the social life on the society of safavid was similar to most others in the sense that the change in economy greatly benefited the country and its people. When the middle class was formally established, the social life was benefited by peope being less poor and more people having famine and malnourishment. This makes for a much greater overall empire and happier citizens throughout. The religous aspects of persia impacted the safavids very little, they lived their lives accordingly and by the rules of the Quran and that was that, no real rebellious stages. when th empire was happy it proved to be a successful empire. And the Safavids were very successful throughout their history.

Political:
The Safavid empire was ruled by many leaders, although only two were truly beneficial. Ishma'il, one of the first leaders led the Safavids to many victories in battle. Ishma'il helped conquer most of Persia, which was a big deal at the time. He took the throne when he was only seven, but his maturity and know-how, made him a quality ruler. Ishma'il in 1501, led his troops into battle, and captured Tabriz. Not even a year later, he was proclaimed the shah of Azerbaijan. That is a huge honor in the community they lived in. After converting to Shiitism at a young age, many of his followers converted, causing a huge amount of the population to be Shiite's. Ishma'il was a great ruler, beloved by his people.

The second important ruler of importance was shah Abba. He constantly fought for lands against the Ottomans, who were their rivals. Constantly trading control helped the popularity of shah Abba. Abba had quite the empire at its peak. it was thriving and flourishing. Abba died in 1629, and the empire followed. He was an extreely crucial aspect to the survival of the Safavids. They could not survive without an established ruler, which showed when the whole civilization declined.

The Safavid empire was ran under a monarchy, including the rulers Ishma'il and shah Abba. The monarchy was loose, people were treated fairly, and even listened to. People's ideas were also crucial to the civilization. people could say what was needed, and if that was given to them, they'd be happier, and less likely to revolt. The Safavids, until their decline were a powerful empire, who were a force to be reckoned with.

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After conflict with the Uzbeks, the Safavid were allowed to trade with the Europeans. They welcomed the British, Dutch, and many others traders to Iran. They participated largely in the silk trade. The Safavid main export was silk. There was a state monopoly from trading silk. ======

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 Another big trade item that the Safavids traded is gunpowder. The trade of gunpowder allows for weaponry and a larger military system, in turn allows better defense to attackers. This means the Uzbeks had a lesser chance of winning the disputed territory that the two civilizations fought over. ======

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A result of their trade was the Portuguese being expelled from Hormoz, an island in the Persian Gulf. Another is that because of the silk roads, the Safavid economy flourished and allowed the ruler Shah Abbas to raise taxes on trade. ======

References:
"Safavid Empire." //World History: The Modern Era//.

ABC-CLIO,2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2012.