Nizaris – Isma‘ili Shi‘ites (formerlya.k.a. the Assassins)

12th c. Nizaris active in Persia and Levant

13th c. Nizaris suppressed by Mamluksand Mongols, driven underground

c. 1460 Nizari Imam establishes HQ atAnjudan, re-establishes network, posingas Sufis

mid 14th c. Collapse of theIlkhanate. Safavids build supportamong Qizilbash (“redheads”)

1499 Safavid Isma‘il attacks localTurkish rulers

1501 Isma‘il takes Tabriz

1501-24 Reign of Isma‘il as shah

shaykh (Sufimaster)

Safi al-Din(lived 1252-1334)

Map Link: The Safavid Empire:

<http://online.sfsu.edu/mroozbeh/Maps/Map-safavid.gif>

1510 Safavids have takeneastern Asia Minor, Iraq andwestern Persia. Defeat Uzbeksin battle

1512-13 Safavids secure easternBorder with Uzbeks

1514 Ottomans defeat Safavidsat Chaldiran

Ottomans

Selim I(r. 1512-20)

Uzbeks

wakil(deputy)

shah

1524-76 Reign of Tahmasp

1533 Tahmasp takes de facto power

1534, 1548, 1554-55 Ottoman invasions ofSafavid territory. Peace finally made, Iraq(including Baghdad) left in Ottoman hands.Safavids keep Tabriz, but Tahmasp movescapital to Qazvin

1587 Murshid Quli Khan raises ‘Abbas tothrone

1587-1629 Reign of ‘Abbas

1598 ‘Abbas transfers capital to Esfahan

1603-23 Safavids push Ottomans out ofnorth-west Persia, Baghdad and south-eastAsia Minor

Maydan-e Shah

Trade links with Europe, tolerance of non-Muslims

Suppression of non-Twelver Muslims, incl.Sufis, leading to change in Nizariapproach to concealment of religion

Confinement of royal princes to harem

1629-42 Reign of Safi

1642-66 Reign of ‘Abbas II

1645 ‘Abbas II takes de facto power

1648 Safavids take Qandahar from Mughals

1666-94 Reign of Safi II/Sulayman

1694-1722 Reign of Sultan Husayn

1709 Afghan Ghilzai tribe takes Qandahar

1722 Mahmud Ghilzai takes Esfahan.Sultan Husayn abdicates. Mahmud becomesnew ruler of Isfahan, effectively bringingSafavid rule to an end

1736 End of Safavid line

1736-47 Reign of Nadir Shah

Persecution/fleeing of Twelver religiousscholars

1740s Nizari Imam moves to Kirman, allowsfollowers to show faith