Safavid Dynasty: The final cultural step to modern Iran
Sheikh Lotfallah Esfahan. 11 Feb. 2007. Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.
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The Safavid dynasty is the most important Islamic dynasty in Iran that completely integrated Islam into Iranian culture and formed the basis of modern Iranian society. The leader, Shah Ismail, established the official religion as Shi’a Islam and attempted to regain the territories that had once been a part of the Persian Empire, occupying Afghanistan (Hyland). Through conquering territories under the name of Islam, he was most likely able to create a sense of unity and a common cause of all Iranians. Iranians were now united by a religion, Islam that would become a very important aspect in their daily lives as Iran’s history progressed. The empire was also characterized by its prosperity due to Abbas I’s successful education systems, trade systems and economic systems. Furthermore, Abbas I successfully captured Heart and Mashhad, Baghdad, Iraq and the Caucasian provinces, extending the Iranian territory and allowing Iran to rise as one of the most powerful dynasties in the Middle East (“Iran”). Through continuous territorial expansions and economic growth, Iran demonstrated that it emerged as a strong and unified empire. Ultimately, the Safavid Dynasty is what created the basic definition of the current Iran. The culture and religion representative Iran were established and rooted firmly during this empire. Although the Safavid Dynasty reached its height during Abbas I’s reign, instability and corruption shadowed the empire due to numerous invasions and debt issues (“Iran”). This led to the collapse of the Safavid Empire when the Ottoman Empire took advantage of the civil wars and chaos within the dynasty to take over it. However, despite the Safavid dynasty eventually lost power to the Ottomans, their religious and cultural legacy continue to remain important in the daily lives of Iranians in the modern world.