The Safavid Machiavelli: Shāh ʿAbbās I and the “Great Man” Theory Revisited

Abstract

Abstract Political discourse in various countries around the world has been characterized by disillusionment with governments’ failure to address pressing concerns of today’s societies. It is also possible to discern a kind of nostalgia about strong, charismatic political leaders, which has lent poignancy to the question of whether great rulers are born or are the product of a specific historical milieu and the confluence of social or cultural factors. The focus of this article will be the accession to power of Shāh ʿAbbās I (1571–1629; r. 1588–1629) and the policies the emperor implemented to redesign and reorganize the Safavid state, as depicted by the court historian Iskandar Beg Munshī (ca. 1560–ca. 1632). I argue that Iskandar Beg’s World-Adorning History of ʿAbbās speaks to modern leadership trait theories about the existence of certain qualities that define a good leader and set him/her apart from other people. At the same time, Iskandar Beg formulates in embryonic form the notion that possessing the fundamental traits and properties associated with an optimal leadership style is never a panacea or absolute guarantee for political success nor does it suffice to yield desirable results. The methods and techniques required for a long reign are the second salient aspect of Iskandar Beg’s portrayal of Shāh ʿAbbās. Iskandar Beg engages with some of the key themes that inform the political theory of Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) as well. Iskandar Beg’s narrative invites comparison with The Prince, published more than one century before the completion of the History. Iskandar Beg was unlikely to have had access or have been exposed to the Florentine author’s ideas. But his description of Shāh ʿAbbās’ leadership practices bears uncanny resemblance to Machiavelli’s works, particularly the portions in The Prince that discuss the cases of rulers who acquired power thanks to their own virtue or fortune.