Converting Persia: Religion and Power in the Safavid Empire

by Rula Jurdi Abisaab

'Converting Persia' explains how Iran was to acquire one of its defining its Shi'ism. Under the Safavids (1501-1736 CE), Persia adopted Shi'ism as its official religion. Rula Abisaab explains how and why this specific brand of Shi'ism - urban and legally-based - was brought to the region by leading Arab 'Ulama from Ottoman Syria, and changed the face of the region till this day. These emigre scholars furnished distinct sources of legitimacy for the Safavid monarchs, and an ideological defense against the Ottomans. Just as important at the time was a conscious and vivid process of Persianization both at the state level and in society. Converting Persia is vital reading for anthropologists, historians and scholars of religion, and any interested in Safavid Persia, in Shi'ism, and in the wider history of the Middle East."Rula Abisaab has provided us with a remarkable study of Safavid Iran. Her work throws new light on the interplay of religion and society and will be a crucial work for all interested in the making of modern Iran." -Abbas Amanat, Professor of History, Yale University.

Genres: History, Iran, Middle East, Islam

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2004

About the author

Rula Jurdi Abisaab is a Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern History at the University of Akron, Ohio.

Reviews

[AJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book discusses the early scholars of the Safavid empire and looks further at some of the issues they were facing at the time. For example, the controversy over Friday prays in despite of the hidden Imam. It appears the establishment of Friday pray which was put forward by the ulama of that place and time was due to political reasons as the Safavids were in conflict with the ottoman's and understood the need for Friday prays as a way to reach the masses in addition to other potential reasons.

The reason I have given this a 2 is that I did not find what I wanted in this book. I think it is a missed opportunity that could have looked at the ahlul sunnah population that were living in Persia at that time. How was their experience? Did they rebel against the conversion?

[Nader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I learned quite a bit about various religious scholars and their positions in Safavid courts, however, I did not get what I was hoping i.e. a coherent picture of what was behind the conversion of people: Was it due to the historical inclination towards shi'ism? Was it force? Was it persuasion? The only reliable viewpoint one gets is that from the above, when it comes to regular people it is all speculation and no concrete facts.