Shah Abbas or Abbas I of Persia originated from the Safavid dynasty that ruled in the years 1587-1629 (Little 514). Being an outstanding reformer and leader, Abbas held administrative, political, military and economic reforms, radically changed statehood system. He established a regular army and waged a successful war against the Turks and Uzbeks, having regained back previously lost territories. In fact, he restored the power of inherited weakened Safavid state and turned it into a centralized absolute monarchy. This was possible largely due to his domestic policy, in particular his approach towards cultures inhabiting Persia.
Domestic policy of Shah Abbas aimed to fight against feudal fragmentation and separatist aspirations of the feudal lords, the strengthening of the central government and the rise of Iran as a strong and cohesive state. Therefore, from the very beginning, Shah relied on the feudal class group, which was interested in the existence of a strong central government – the Persians, especially Khorasan bureaucracy (Little 514). In this regard, the leading political role in the state of Shah passed from the Turkish-Azerbaijani nomads to the Iranian settled people.
He was largely patronizing the Iranian element. For this reason, Shah strived to develop central part of Iran with the center in the city of Isfahan, where Shah moved the capital in 1598. Wishing to increase the population of the Central Iran, Shah Abbas was relocating there peasants and artisans of Eastern Armenia, Shirvan and eastern Georgia (Little 514). He was developing productive forces within the inner regions of Iran through robbery of the marginal and the newly conquered areas, which were emptied from native Georgians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, and Kurds. He severely repressing popular uprisings and performances of conquered peoples. Although Iranians became dominant political power in the country, nevertheless, the role of the Turkish element, especially in the army, remained still significant.
For instance, he held a military reform in the country – this was absolutely justified not only by an external threat from Turkey, but also by separatist tendencies among the provincial lords. Earlier, the Persian army consisted of only the military cavalry of the Turkic nobility, little skilled units of peasants and personal cavalry detachment Shah. During his reign, Abbas created regular army, which consisted of 20 thousand sharpshooters with muskets, 12 thousand Caucasian horse riders, and 500 artillery guns (Little 514). The army was regularly replenished with recruits, who were recruited compulsorily from the non-Muslim population of Iran.
As a Muslim Shiite, Abbas was consistently pursuing the Sunni Muslims, but showed tolerance to Europeans Christians, who were always welcome his country. Shah was nourishing development of trade and crafts in Iran which was reflected in taking care of the security of caravan routes, in ruthless war against robbers and in the construction of caravanserais and new roads (Little 515).
Preparing for a war against Turkey, Shah Abbas I sought to establish political relations with the European states. He exchanged embassies with France, Holland, Spain, the German Emperor and the Pope. Merchants from many European countries, especially the Dutch, received privileges in Iran. What is more, Shah managed to save the independence of Iran from European states. Additionally, Shah was largely interested in European culture and technology, and Iran for the first time in its history started sending Persian young painters to Italy to study "Frankish" art (Little 515).
During the reign of Shah Abbas, the Safavid state reached the highest political power, in connection with which Abbas I is called the Great among the Iranians.
Works Cited
Littel, McDougal, Ancient World History Patterns of Interaction. Rand McNally, 2007. Print.
