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Slaves of the Shah: New Elites of Safavid Iran
The Safavid dynasty represented the pinnacle of Iran’s power and influence in its early modern history. The evidence of this – the creation of a nation state, military expansion and success, economic dynamism, and the exquisite art and architecture of the period – is well-known. What is less understood is the extent to which the Safavid success depended on an elite originating from outside Iran: the slaves of Caucasian descent and the Armenian merchants of Isfahan. This book describes how these elites, following their conversion to Islam, helped to transform Isfahan’s urban, artistic and social landscape.
218 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 1, 2021
The collaborators on this book investigate a fascinating stage in the evolution of rulership, which marks a kind of half-way point between warlord monarchy and representative government. They describe how Safavid Persia took a step beyond tribalism, toward meritocracy, and how, surprisingly enough, this advance relied heavily on slaves.
Of course slavery was based on the barbaric practice, used by virtually all pre-modern Islamic and Christian states, of treating foreign "infidel" lands as raiding grounds for plunder, conquest, and slave-taking on behalf of the faithful. But in Islamic empires like Turkey or Persia, it was generally accepted that slaves who converted to the faith should be treated as members of the household. (Although they remained under their masters' legal authority, as did almost all women in both Muslim and Christian lands.) With this relative "advance" in the status of Muslim slaves, a whole category of new people entered the households of ruling families, often working more as colleagues than as servants. So the saying of a Seljuq Turk ruler became something of a truism:
"One obedient slave is better / than three hundred sons; / for the latter desire their father's death [in hopes of inheriting the kingdom], and the former long life for his master."
The authors of this book give a very detailed account of how such slaves were increasingly entrusted with major administrative roles. They won these positions through a kind of meritocracy, where the most capable and intelligent earned promotion as provincial governors, managers of major architectural and engineering projects, or patrons of art, literature, and religious life. In general, it worked better than the old competitions between blood relatives or tribal heads. We start to see new kind of state emerging, more dependent on talent, expertise, and leadership skills than on family inheritance, tribal connections, or simply on naked force.
My main complaint is that the book is so well researched that in makes dry reading, which I suppose is the cost of documenting a case. I'll just add as a comment that Persia abolished the import of slaves in 1848.
Of course slavery was based on the barbaric practice, used by virtually all pre-modern Islamic and Christian states, of treating foreign "infidel" lands as raiding grounds for plunder, conquest, and slave-taking on behalf of the faithful. But in Islamic empires like Turkey or Persia, it was generally accepted that slaves who converted to the faith should be treated as members of the household. (Although they remained under their masters' legal authority, as did almost all women in both Muslim and Christian lands.) With this relative "advance" in the status of Muslim slaves, a whole category of new people entered the households of ruling families, often working more as colleagues than as servants. So the saying of a Seljuq Turk ruler became something of a truism:
"One obedient slave is better / than three hundred sons; / for the latter desire their father's death [in hopes of inheriting the kingdom], and the former long life for his master."
The authors of this book give a very detailed account of how such slaves were increasingly entrusted with major administrative roles. They won these positions through a kind of meritocracy, where the most capable and intelligent earned promotion as provincial governors, managers of major architectural and engineering projects, or patrons of art, literature, and religious life. In general, it worked better than the old competitions between blood relatives or tribal heads. We start to see new kind of state emerging, more dependent on talent, expertise, and leadership skills than on family inheritance, tribal connections, or simply on naked force.
My main complaint is that the book is so well researched that in makes dry reading, which I suppose is the cost of documenting a case. I'll just add as a comment that Persia abolished the import of slaves in 1848.
February 17, 2012
This book follows the dynasty of the Shah's of Iran and their influence in Iran.It traces back the roots from slavery and the role these slaves got to play in shaping the modern day identity of Iran.A historical read if you not into history then it will be a very tedious read
April 15, 2014
Nice words, specially for me after living in Cascuse
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews