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IRAN
AND THE WORLD IN THE SAFAVID AGE
Abstracts
Fragner, Prof. Bert, Universität
Bamberg, Lehrstuhl für Iranistik, Bamberg, The
Safavid Empire and the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century Political
and Strategic Balance of Power within the World System
In macro-historical
terms, the Safavid Empire shows some fascinating aspects. In
historicist retrospective, this political entity resembles the
re-establishment of the vanished empire of the Il-Khans ('Iran',
'Iran-zamin', fourteenth century).
Looking towards the future, the Safavid Empire in its final
configuration (about 1720-30) looks like a kind of blueprint for
early modern Iran, shaping the starting point for a development
which led eventually to the establishment of Qajar rule,
inaugurating many processes from which modern Iran emerged.
Internally, this dynamic
development led the lands of Iran from a tribal federation
consisting of religiously fanatic Turkomans in the earliest stage
of Safavid rule to a centralized state structure offering matter
of comparison to the then contemporary Ottoman and Mogul empires.
Being embedded between the twain, Safavid Iran lacked the
abundant and less limited potential of maritime activities these
two neighbours had at their disposal, which far surpassed Iranian
naval resources in the Persian Gulf.
Facing this background, the Iranian achievements in
maritime activities deserve high respect.
After having established
their positions in enduring warfare against the Ottomans in the
West and the Shaibanid Uzbeks in the North-East (sixteenth
century), the Safavids succeeded not only in fostering their
internal political position.
In due course they gained growing attractiveness in the
eyes of various European powers. Here we have to differentiate:
some European courts and empires were deeply engaged in opposition
to and defence against the Ottoman Empire and were therefore
interested in the rising Safavid power as an efficient ally in
this struggle (the Hapsburgs, Poland, Venice).
The Atlantic powers of the time, i.e. Portugal, the
Netherlands and England, tried to incorporate Iran into their
expanding colonial networks.
Russia held a distinct position: the powerful empire north
of the Caspian developed gradually as a strong and intensely
interested neighbour.
In (limited) accordance
with Immanuel Wallerstein, these efforts of Atlantic European
powers may be seen as aiming at incorporating Iran into the new
'World System' or, at least, into a potentially world-wide
structure of expansionist economic and political power.
But, there is also another embedding network: the position
of Safavid Iran among her regional and trans-regional neighbours
and partners should also be scrutinized: a provisional and rough
ranking of regional powers may be scheduled as follows:
Equal or, at least,
comparable powers to the Safavid regime: The Mamluks, the
Shirvanshahs, the Musha'sha' kings, and the last Timurids during
the early years of Shah Isma'il's reign; the Ottomans and the
Moghul emperors contemporary with the Safavids' heyday.
External powers: the
Uzbeks in Central Asia (Shaibanids, Ashtarkhanids, Khiva);
far-distanced 'partners of communication': China, Siam, Atche and,
not to be forgotten, Russia again!
Dependent areas, not
permanently and effectively ruled by Safavid power, but at least
formally associated: Daghistan, the Hindukush ranges.
Non-Iranian areas
incorporated regularly into the Safavid Empire and enjoying
limited autonomy (Georgia).
A comparative examination
of these relations and varieties of embeddedness will offer a
dynamic tableau of the Safavids' position in the world from the
sixteenth to the early eighteenth centuries.
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