The Russian-Iranian Silk Trade during the Reign of Shāh Ṣafī I (1629–1642)

Abstract

Abstract This article is a case study of the Russian-Iranian silk trade, particularly during the period of the Safavid Shāh Ṣafī I (1629–1642). During his reign, substantial changes occurred in the state silk trade, which also affected the Russian-Iranian trade. This study mainly focuses on the amount of Iranian silk exported to Russia by royal merchants, the form the Russian-Iranian silk trade took and the mode of transport as well as the main trade routes. Our research is based on archival historical sources from the Russian state archives of ancient documents. The study thus aims to shine new facts on the Russian-Iranian trade relations in the early modern period.