Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King Who Became an Iranian LegendShah Abbas (1571-1629) was shah of Iran from 1588 (when he assumed power by deposing his father, whom he later murdered) until his death in 1629. He is of critical importance in the history of Iran, restoring the power of the Safavids through war and the strategic negotiation of peace. He is still acclaimed for his strong and decisive rule and the architectural achievements of his reign although he is also recognised as a tyrant, whose paranoia (probably justified) caused him to imprison and assassinate many of his own relatives including his own son, ultimately leaving the throne to his grandson.Remarkably, this is the first biography of Shah Abbas in English. "On a Persian Throne" combines rigorous scholarship with a popular style to produce the definitive, accessible and objective biography of this seminal figure in Iranian history. |
Contents
| 1 | |
2 A Turbolent Childhood and the Seizure of Power | 15 |
3 Abbas Takes Control | 31 |
4 The Recovery of Khurasan from the Uzbeks | 47 |
5 English Adventures at the Service of Shah Abbas | 53 |
Khurasan the Persian Gulf and a Challenge to the Ottomans | 65 |
7 Abbas Expels the Ottomans | 75 |
8 The Search for European Allies | 85 |
14 Abbas the Man and the King | 155 |
15 The Court of Shah Abbas | 165 |
16 The Throne and Mosque Alliance | 181 |
17 The City that was Half the World | 193 |
18 The Merchant King | 209 |
19 Shah Abbas and the Arts | 217 |
20 The Later Safavids | 227 |
Conclusion | 239 |
9 Pressure on the Gulf Mass Deportations and the Murder of a Son | 99 |
the Capture of Hormuz | 113 |
the Capture of Qandahar and Baghdad | 131 |
12 A Conflict of Envoys | 137 |
13 The English Embassy and the Death of Abbas | 143 |
Notes | 243 |
| 259 | |
| 269 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Abbas’s Allahvirdi Khan ambassador Armenians army Ashraf attack Augustinians Baghdad campaign Carmelites Caspian century Chardin Christian Chronicle clerics court courtiers East India Company embassy English envoy eunuchs Europe European Farahabad father Figueroa friars Georgian ghulams Gouvea governor grand vizier Hamza harem Herat Herbert Hormuz Imam Quli Khan Iran Iranian silk Isfahan Iskandar Beg Munshi Islamic Julfa Khurasan King later Mahd-e Oliya Mashhad Mazandaran merchants Mirza Moghul Mosque Muhammad Murshid Quli Khan Muslim Nuqtavi Ottoman palace Pasha peace Perse Chah Abbas Persia Persian Gulf Pietro Della Valle pope Portuguese Prince province Qandahar Qazvin Qizilbash Qizilbash amirs reign of Shah Riza Robert Sherley Royal Square ruler Savory says sent Shah Abbas Shah Ismail Shah Safi Shah Tahmasp shah’s Shamlu Sheikh Shi'i Shi’i clergy Shi'ism Shiraz shrine siege Sir Anthony Sherley Spain Spanish Sufi Sultan TAAA Tabriz throne took trade Travels of Pietro Turkoman Twelver Ustajlu Uzbeks Zayandeh River