HINE 116 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Safavid Dynasty, Twelver, Tanzimat
Lecture 14 – Qajar Iran
Summary of Previous Lecture
• The Crisis Years (1873-1878)
• Elements of Continuity frim the Tanzimat to Hamidian Eras
• Contrasts of the Hamidian Era with Tanzimat
• The Legacy of Abdulhamid
❖ Historical Periods in Persia
• Pre-Islamic (6th Century BCE – 7th Century CE)
• Pre-Safavid Iran under Islamic rule (7th – 15th centuries)
• Safavid Iran (1501-1736)
• Qajar Iran (1796-1925)
❖ Pre-Islamic Persia
• Achaemenid – Parthian – Sasanian Empires
• Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes; royal absolutism
o Persepolis as capital
o Satraps as Persian imperial governors
o Benevolent posture toward minorities
▪ Jews returned to homeland
• Greco-Persian Wars (two campaigns in 490 BCE and 480 BCE)
• Conquest by Alexander the Great
• Provided a model in the region for a millennium with their imperial bureaucracy,
court life, tax collectors, record keepers, translators, etc.
❖ Pre-Safavid Iran under Islam
• The Abbasid dynasty partly relied on their Persian speaking subjects for their
admiration
• The center of the Empire moved East with Baghdad as capital and Iraq and Persia
as its main areas
• 11-13th century nomadic migrations changed Iran forever
• Turkic dynasties such as the Seljuks ruled Iran as overlords for the Abbasids
❖ Safavid Iran
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• An Iranian state founded and maintained with the help of gunpower technology
following a long period of decentralization
• The Safavids were originally a quietist Sunni order centering in East Azerbaijan,
and with ties to the 14th century Mongol rulers
• Its Turkish speaking leaders became militant warriors after travels among
Aatolia oadi ties; adopted ilitat etee Shiis
o With a belief in divine incarnations
o Safavid leaders being considered divine
o Strong egalitarianism
• Soon after gaining power in Tabriz they began to moderate their views and
iited Tele Shiite sholas fo Ia
• Pillars of the Safavid State
o Fo a Milita-patoage state taditio of the tial oads
o Ito a asolutist ueauati epie adinistered by a Persian
speaking bureaucratic class
o Based o a oal ode held Tele Shii eligious sholas
o With foile oesio of Iaia Suis to Tele Shiis
• Decline and Fall of the Safavids
o 17th Century Crisis
▪ Development of oversees trade by Europeans and decline of
overland trade to Asia
o Sunni tribal Afghans sacked the capital Isfahan in 1722
o Safavid Legacy
▪ A Persian tradition of glorified monarchy
▪ A regime based on powerful uymaq (tribal) principalities
▪ A cohesive, monolithic, and patiall autooous Shii eligious
establishment
o Between 1736 and 1796 various smaller dynasties ruled parts of Iran such
as the Afsharids and Zands
❖ Qajars (1796-1925)
• Muhammad Khan Qajar (r. 1796-1797)
• Fath-Ali Shah Qajar (r. 1797-1834)
• Mohammad Shah Qajar (r. 1834-1848)
• Naser ad-Din Shah Qajar (1848-1896)
• Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar (1896-1907)
• Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar (1907-1909)
• Ahmad Shah Qajar (1909-1925)
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Document Summary
Summary of previous lecture: the crisis years (1873-1878, elements of continuity frim the tanzimat to hamidian eras, contrasts of the hamidian era with tanzimat, the legacy of abdulhamid. Historical periods in persia: pre-islamic (6th century bce 7th century ce, pre-safavid iran under islamic rule (7th 15th centuries, safavid iran (1501-1736, qajar iran (1796-1925) Pre-islamic persia: achaemenid parthian sasanian empires, cyrus, darius, xerxes; royal absolutism, persepolis as capital, satraps as persian imperial governors, benevolent posture toward minorities. Its turkish speaking leaders became militant warriors after travels among. Qajars (1796-1925: muhammad khan qajar (r. 1796-1797, fath-ali shah qajar (r. 1797-1834, mohammad shah qajar (r. 1834-1848, naser ad-din shah qajar (1848-1896, mozaffar ad-din shah qajar (1896-1907, mohammad ali shah qajar (1907-1909, ahmad shah qajar (1909-1925) Increasing tax collection: encouraging cultivation of cash crops, establishing state economic enterprises, resistance, opposition to reforms by the old guard, new classes were dissatisfied with their position in society.
