List of Safavid grand viziers
| Grand vizier of Safavid Iran | |
|---|---|
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| Appointer | The shah |
| Formation | 1501 |
| First holder | Amir Zakariya |
| Final holder | Rajab-Ali Khan |
| Abolished | 8 March 1736 |
The grand vizier (Persian: وزیر اعظم, romanized: vazir-e a'zam) was one of the highest ranking offices in Safavid Iran.[1] From at least the tenure of Mirza Shah Hossein, they held the honorific title of E'temad ol-Dowleh.[2]
During the 16th century, the authority of the grand vizier was a reflection of the shah’s own authority.[3] Grand viziers held less prominence during the early Safavid era, as shahs like Shah Tahmasp I (r. 1524–1576) and Shah Abbas I (r. 1587–1629) were more engaged in the administration. The Turkmen Qizilbash leaders also held a level of influence that limited the authority of the grand vizier during the majority of the 16th century.[4]
From the 16th late century onward, other prominent members of the court limited the power of the grand vizier, such as the steward of the royal court (nazer-e boyutat), the secretary-general of the royal secretariat (nazer-e daftar-e homayun), the treasurer-general (mostowfi ol-mamalek), the military commanders, or by one or more of the shah's favorites, as well as members of the harem. Nevertheless, the shah's patronage could elevate the grand vizier above all opposition, ensuring his command over the court uncontested.[4]
The power of the grand vizier increased substantially in the 17th century as a result of the diminished authority of the Qizilbash leaders and the more fragmented and scattered makeup of the ruling class (Tajiks, eunuchs, royal women, gholams, and Qizilbash).[3] From 1669 onwards, the grand vizier was usually from a tribal (Kurdish or Turkmen) background. With their entry to the office, the Qizilbash thus regained some of their lost authority.[5] This entry to a Tajik-only office was due to the grand vizier's rise to prominence as the undisputed head of the central bureaucracy. The Qizilbash had by now accepted to share authority with the gholams and had been integrated into the Safavid bureaucracy.[5] It also demonstrated how the Turkmens successfully assimilated into Persian administrative culture. Aside from their various talents, grand viziers were primarily selected for their administrative skills.[6]
The grand vizier was the head of the royal council, the highest governing authority in the government.[7]
List of grand viziers
References
- ↑ Floor 2001, p. 23.
- ↑ Floor 2001, pp. 23–24.
- 1 2 Floor 2001, p. 24.
- 1 2 Floor 2001, p. 25.
- 1 2 Floor 2001, p. 35.
- ↑ Floor 2001, p. 39.
- ↑ Floor 2001, pp. 28–29.
Sources
- Babaie, Sussan (2004). Slaves of the Shah: New Elites of Safavid Iran. I.B.Tauris. pp. 1–218. ISBN 9781860647215.
- Blow, David (2009). Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King Who became an Iranian Legend. London, UK: I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd. ISBN 978-1-84511-989-8. LCCN 2009464064.
- Floor, Willem (2001). Safavid Government Institutions. Mazda Publishers. ISBN 978-1568591353.
- Matthee, Rudi (2010). "ḴALIFA SOLṬĀN". In Yarshater, Ehsan (ed.). Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. XV/4: Kafir Kala–Ḵamsa of Jamāli. London and New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul. pp. 382–384. ISBN 978-1-934283-26-4.
- Matthee, Rudi (2011). Persia in Crisis: Safavid Decline and the Fall of Isfahan. I.B.Tauris. pp. 1–371. ISBN 978-0857731814.
- Mitchell, Colin P. (2009). The Practice of Politics in Safavid Iran: Power, Religion and Rhetoric. I.B.Tauris. pp. 1–304. ISBN 978-0857715883.
- Newman, Andrew J. (2008). Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire. I.B.Tauris. pp. 1–281. ISBN 9780857716613.
- Roemer, H.R. (1968). "The Safavid period". In Boyle, John Andrew (ed.). The Cambridge History of Iran: The Saljuq and Mongol Periods. Vol. 5. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 189–351. ISBN 0-521-06936-X.
- Savory, Roger (2007). Iran under the Safavids. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521042512.