Co-authored by Kathryn Babayan, Ph.D. 1993.

1860647219

The Safavid dynasty represented the pinnacle of Iran's power and influence in its early modern history. The evidence of this - the creation of a nation state, military expansion and success, economic dynamism and the exquisite art and architecture of the period is well-known. What is less understood is the extent to which the Safavid success depended on an elite originating from outside Iran: the slaves of Caucasian descent and the Armenian merchants of Isfahan. This book describes how these elites, following their conversion to Islam, helped to transform Isfahan's urban, artistic and social landscape.

Table of Contents

Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Note on Transliteration and Usage xiii
1 Slaves of the Shah
Sussan Babaie, Kathryn Babayan,
Ina Baghdiantz-McCabe, Massumeh Farhad
2 The Safavid Household Reconfigured:
Concubines, Eunuchs and Military Slaves
Kathryn Babayan
3 Armenian Merchants and Slaves: Financing
the Safavid Treasury
Ina Baghdiantz-McCabe
4 Launching from Isfahan: Slaves and the
Construction of the Empire
Sussan Babaie
5 Military Slaves in the Provinces: Collecting
and Shaping the Arts
Massumeh Farhad
Appendix