Entry of the Russian Embassy to Isfahan and Diplomatic Receptions in the Safavid State (according to the Memoirs of John Bell)

Abstract

The article is devoted to the ceremonial ritual diplomatic practices adopted at the Persian Safavid court during the reign of Shah Sultan Hussein (1694-1722), described by the Scottish physician John Bell, who was a member of the Russian embassy of Artemy Volynsky in Isfahan (1717). It is noted that John Bell, with varying degrees of detail, captured the order of entry of foreign diplomatic missions to Isfahan, the movement along the streets of the capital and the consistent structure of the entry of the Russian embassy. The fact that there was an elaborate ceremony and etiquette for receiving foreign embassies in Safavid Persia is shown in the article. The author believes that the capital of Isfahan itself, its suburbs, the main Shah’s residence Talar-i Tawila, and the Shah’s country residences acted as the ceremonial space. It has been proven that the Safavid ceremony involved a magnificent meeting of the embassy at the entrance to the capital, her escort to the place of accommodation, a solemn entry into the capital, a reception with the Shah with the presentation of credentials and a meal. A comparative analysis of the receptions of the shah and high-ranking officials, differing in their degree of representativeness, led to the conclusion that the shah’s receptions were exclusively ceremonial, while important political issues could be discussed at receptions of high-ranking officials. It is noted that the receptions of senior officials could surpass the receptions of the shah with pomp.