РЕЛИГИОЗНАЯ ПОЛИТИКА ШАХОВ СЕФЕВИДСКОЙ ДИНАСТИИ (1501–1722)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the religious policy of the representatives of the Safavid dynasty, who solved the historical task of spreading and affirming Shi’ism of the Isna’asharite persuasion on the territory of Iran. The paper identifies the reasons why Ismail I chose this particular direction of the Shiite movement, declaring it the state religion of his country. The ways in which the Safavid shahs managed to turn an initially Sunni country into a state with a predominant Shiite population are shown. It is concluded that the most effective measures for the spread of Islamism were government measures aimed at attracting reputable Shiite scholars to the country and sponsoring their activities, organizing the state apparatus, with the inclusion of officials who provided communication between the government and the Shiite clergy, the establishment of a network of madrasahs and the organization of a religious education system. Attention is focused on the activities of the shahs to develop pilgrimage centers associated with Isna’asharite imams. The analysis of historical events allowed the author to trace the evolution of the relationship between the Shiite clergy and state power in the Safavid era. The failure of Nadir Shah’s religious policy aimed at merging the Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam is considered as confirmation of the conclusion that thanks to the efforts of the Safavid Shahs, a national Iranian identity was formed, inextricably linked with Isna’ashari Shiism.