Safavid dynasty

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Persian dynasty.

It was founded by Isma'il I, who, by converting his people from Sunnite to Shi'ite Islam and adopting the trappings of Persian monarchy, planted the seeds of a unique national and religious identity. He captured Tabriz from the Ak Koyunlu and became shah of Azerbaijan (1501) and Persia (1502). 'Abbas I (r. 1588–1629) brought the dynasty to its peak; his capital, Esfahan, was the centre of Safavid architectural achievement. The dynasty declined in the century following his reign, pressed by the Ottoman Empire and the Mughal dynasty, and fell when a weak shah, Tahmasp II, was deposed by his general, Nadir Shah.

More on "Safavid dynasty" from Britannica Concise:

Laristan - Region, southern Iran.

Safi al-Din - Iranian founder of the Safavid Sufi order, which in time developed into the Safavid dynasty.

Sistan - Extensive border region, eastern Iran and southwestern Afghanistan.

Qazvin - City (pop., 1996: 291,117), northwestern Iran.

Nadir Shah - Iranian conqueror and ruler.

More on "Safavid dynasty" from the 32 Volume Encyclopædia Britannica:

Safavid - (1502-1736), Iranian dynasty whose establishment of Shi'ite Islam as the state religion of Iran was a major factor in the emergence of a unified national consciousness among the various ethnic and linguistic elements of the country. The Safavids were descended from Sheykh Safi od-Din (1253-1334) of Ardabil, head of the Sufi order of Safaviyeh (Safawiyah), but about 1399 exchanged their Sunnite ...

Ghaznavid - (AD 977-1186), Turkish dynasty that ruled in Khorasan (in northeastern Iran), Afghanistan, and northern India.

Zand - (1750-79), Iranian dynasty that ruled southern Iran.

Islamic arts - The Safavid dynasty was founded by Esma'il I (1501-24). The art of this dynasty reached its zenith during the reigns of Tahmasp (1524-76) and of 'Abbas I (1588-1629). This phase of the Safavid period also marked the last significant development of Islamic art in Iran, for after the middle of the 17th century original creativity disappeared in all mediums. Rugs and objects in silver, gold, and ...

Iraq - In October 1508, Shah Isma'il I, founder of the Shi'ite Safavid dynasty in Iran, entered Baghdad at the head of his Kizilbash Turkmen troops, driving out the Purnak governor. Turning the city over to his chief of staff, he moved south against the Musha'sha'. As in the Turkmen period, tribal centrifugalism continued to dominate the politics of the region.

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