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Twelver Shiism was named the official of the Safavid Empire and it was declared that by Shah Ismail.
The Safavid Empire reigned from 1501-1722 and it was first established by a man named Shah Ismail. The emperor and his successors attracted political power by following their ancestry all of the way back to Safi al-Din who was in charge of the Sufi religious order. The empire as a whole gained political power by enforcing their own religion and imposing on the Sunni traditionalist peoples in their location.
Twelver Shiism was named the official of the Safavid Empire and it was declared that by Shah Ismail.
Qizilbash were Turkish followers who had been told by Ismail's father to wear distinctive and unique red hats in order to honor the Shiite imams. This term also means redheads.
The Sufi were religious people who believed in finding the lost intimacy between God and the human soul. They believed that only through a meeting with God himself could you find true love and pure knowledge.
In 1504 there was an important battle called the Battle of Chaldiran. The Ottoman Janissaries attacked the Safavid Empire that refused to use gunpowder. As a result of this, they felt the bad consequences because they couldn't defend themselves properly against the Ottomans.
After Shah Abbas became the ruler in 1588, he moved the capital to a city named Isfahan. In the city there were many busy markets, a palace, a royal mosque, a town square, and even a polo field. It was also known as being a precious gem of urban architecture. Other unique characteristics of the capital included big arcades, open courtyards, and super colorful designs.
Shah Ismail reigned from 1501-1524. By using the technique of fear, he kept a tight grasp of control on the Iranian Peninsula. While in power he also did things like declare the official religion as Twelver Shiism and promoting propaganda that centered on the twelve infallible imam.
Shah Abbas reigned from 1588-1629. He did things like move the capital, encouraging foreign trade, and revitalizing the empire as a whole. Abbas strengthened his military and they were able to win many wars against the Ottomans. Places that he brought under Safavid rule were north-western Iran, the Caucasus, and even Mesopotamia.
This picture shows the social hierarchy of this empire.
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