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Safavid State

Type Object Region Asia Time 1501–1736

The Safavid state was founded by Ismail I in 1501, with Shia Islam as the state religion, unifying the Iranian Plateau and surrounding regions and en…

Timeline

  1. 1501–1510Tabriz · IranAfter capturing Tabriz, Ismail I proclaimed himself shah, declared Twelver Shia Islam the state religion, and within ten years conquered most of Iran and parts of Mesopotamia, forming a standoff with the Ottoman Empire.
  2. 1588–1629Isfahan · IranAbbas I moved the capital to Isfahan, reorganized the army and administration, and developed foreign trade and handicrafts, bringing the Safavid state into a zenith of political stability and cultural flourishing.
  3. 1722–1736Isfahan · IranAfter Afghan rebels captured Isfahan, Safavid central authority collapsed; after a period of warlord fragmentation, Nader Shah ultimately founded the Afsharid dynasty, ending the Safavid state.

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