Study Of The Foreign Relations Of The Safavid Dynasty

As one of the World's Ancient Civilizations, Persia established the first great empire crossing three continents of Europe, Asia and Africa in the world's history as early as the 6th century BC. In ancient and medieval times, being the crucial hub of the cultural exchanges between East and West, Persia took an active part in the world's cultural exchanges and made great contribution to the promotion of world civilization communication. Since the 7th century AD, Persia has successively been under the control of the Arabs, Mongols and other alien races. Gradually, it began to be standstill in the world's cultural exchanges. While with the coming of the important period when the world history entered into the pre-capitalist times following the Discovery, the Persians reestablished their empire, Safavid Dynasty (1502-1736), which developed into one of the three major Islamic empires together with Ottoman Turkey and Mughal Empire at that time. A new chapter in foreign relations of Persia was opened.During the Safavid Dynasty, Ottoman Turkey is the main rival of Persia. The wars between two countries lasted for as long as a century because of the political, economic and religious conflicts. And the border was finally fixed after the bilateral agreement. Its lack of power, however, led to the lost of the vital region of Mesopotamia, which made its political center move from the west and norm to east gradually, foreshadowing the happening of the modern ban-Iraq war and the Kurdish problem bothering the international community. Meanwhile, the long-term war between the Safavid Dynasty and Ottoman Turkey became a great advantage for the European countries to fight against Ottoman Turkey. As for Uzbek Khanate, northeast of Persia, threatening the Khorasan region of Safavi dynasty time and again, Safavi dynasty struck a forceful counterattack. It pursued equipoise in diplomacy, maintaining the balance of politics in Middle Asia. The traditional trade by roadway fell into decay because of the long-term wars in east and west and the instability in politics and economics as the sequelae of the war. Persia transferred their ways of foreign affairs into seaway. As for the Mughal Empire to the east, in spite of small-scale military conflicts between them because of control of Kandahar, Safavi dynasty and Mughal Empire led a friendly relationship in general, owing to their friendship in history and the mutual-defence policy among Middle Asian countries. This policy promoted the extensive economic and cultural exchanges. For the Portugal Empire invading the southern waters, and the colonists from Netherlands, France and Britain who made their commercial trading companies spearhead the way, Persia, with an opening attitude, took the advantage of their conflicts and the shift in the balance of power to develop political, military and commercial intercourses. Particularly, they took the trades of raw silk as an important diplomacy to seek military alliances, resisting the inordinate ambitions of other countries. All the policies of Safavid Dynasty promoted the exchanges among western countries, accelerated the establishment of the world market at the initial stage of capitalism, restricted the attempt of the western countries to invade into the inland of Persia and maintained the national unity and independence. In order to unify and inspire people's patriotism and make joint effort to resist the outside insult, the rulers of Safavid announced that Shia Islam was the state religion and take forceful steps to support it from the very beginning of the establishment of the empire. Shia Islam is a diplomatic banner of Safavid Dynasty, which got significant development in the process of foreign affairs, gradually developed into an independent political power, laying a solid foundation for Iran to be a Shia state in the later time. During the period of Safavid Dynasty, Persia carried out extensive economic and cultural exchanges with both eastern and western countries including distant China. Even though Safavid Dynasty insisted on the status of Shia Islam as the state religion, it also maintained a permissive and open attitude to other non- Islamic religions, which enriched the civilization of Persia, promoted the exchanges of world civilization and created opportunities for the growth of the Western church forces.The diplomacy of Safavid Dynasty was positive, active and successful. The internal exchanges of different periods had impact on the level of external exchanges. As one of the manifestation of advanced productive forces, military force was a crucial constraint influencing Safavid Dynasty's diplomatic activities. The diplomacy of Safavid Dynasty conformed to the world situation at that time, made new contribution to the exchanges of world civilization and later laid the foundation for the development of Iranian history.