Iranian in EU III
- Thread starter Kurdistani
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Well the first question that comes to mind is
Should it be Persia(n) or Iran(ian) ?
I would say Persia/Persian, since that was how the Europans called them in those days and the game is after all Europa Universalis
Should it be Persia(n) or Iran(ian) ?
I would say Persia/Persian, since that was how the Europans called them in those days and the game is after all Europa Universalis
From the first post only the safavid dynasty is really important (taking up most of the EU3 timeframe). I do wish people would only post things relevant to the timeframe. It doesnt matter what happened pre 1453 and after 1800 because its not in the game. Also this is alot like tunchs thread is that what you are going for?
Markusw7 said:
It is always good for context, and could be helpful in working out relative tech levels....
D - although the dynastic time scale starting at 3000 BC may be pushing it a bit!)
Veldmaarschalk said:
The state should be called Iran. It has always been called Iran. It is only the Europeans that called it Persia.
More info on the Safavids.... Although the Timorid, Turkic, Zend and Qajar periods are alos in the EU time frame.
Safavid culture
As far as architecture is concerned, pride of place goes to the expansion of Isfahan, masterminded by Shah Abbas I from 1598 onwards, which is one of the most ambitious and novel schemes of town planning in Islamic history.
In architectural decoration great importance was given to calligraphy, which was transformed into an art of monumental inscriptions, a development of particular artistic merit in the art of kashi.
A view of the eastern pier of the north iwan of the Imam Mosque, built in Isfahan during the Safavid period.
Its chief exponent was Muhammad Riza-i-Imami who worked in Qum, Qazvin and above all, between 1673 and 1677 in Mashad. The death of Shah Abbas I in 1629 marked the beginning of the end for the golden age of Persian architecture.
Detail of enamelled brick at the Mosque of Sheikh Lutfullah in Isfahan, showing Koranic text in stylised Kufic characters.
The last decade of the 16th century saw a vigorous revival of the pottery industry in Iran. Safavid potters developed new types of Chinese inspired Kubachi blue and white polychrome ware, due perhaps to the influence of the three hundred Chinese potters and their families who were settled in Iran (in Kerman) by Shah Abbas I. Ceramic tiles were produced especially in Tabriz and in Samarkand. Other types of ceramics include bottles and flasks from Isfahan.
Early 18th century ewer. Here the Chinese blue and white export ware has been imitated in style.
Kubachi earthenware dish with polychrome design of a dancer and a musician. North-west Iran 17th century.
Textiles were greatly developed during the Safavid period. Isfahan, Kashan and Yezd produced silks, and Isfahan and Yezd satin; Kashan was famous for its brocades.
Persian clothes in the 17th century often had a floral decoration on a light background and the old geometric motifs gave way to the depiction of pseudo-realistic scenes full of human figures.
Long-sleeved coat, with a pattern of drinking dandies, from the first half of the 17th century.
Carpets occupy the major position in the textile field, with key weaving centres in Kerman, Kashan, Shiraz, Yezd, and Isfahan.
There were a great variety of types such as the hunting carpet, the animal carpet, the garden carpet and the flower-vase carpet. The strong pictorial character of so many Safavid carpets owes much to Safavid book painting.
Detail of a Persian hunting carpet from the early Safavid period, Kashan.
In metalwork, the engraving technique developed in Khurassan in the 15th century retained its popularity well into Safavid times. Safavid metalwork produced significant innovations in form, design and technique. They include a type of tall octagonal torch-holder on a circular plinth, a new type of ewer of Chinese inspiration, and the almost total disappearance of Arabic inscriptions in favour of those containing Persian poetry, often by Hafez and Sa'di.
Brass torch stand. Iranian Azerbajian, c. 1579-80
In gold and silver work, Safavid Iran specialised in the production of swords and daggers, and of gold vessels such as bowls and jugs, often set with precious stones.
Safavid metalwork, like so many of the other visual arts, remained the standard for subsequent artists in the Zand and Qajar periods.
As far as architecture is concerned, pride of place goes to the expansion of Isfahan, masterminded by Shah Abbas I from 1598 onwards, which is one of the most ambitious and novel schemes of town planning in Islamic history.
In architectural decoration great importance was given to calligraphy, which was transformed into an art of monumental inscriptions, a development of particular artistic merit in the art of kashi.
A view of the eastern pier of the north iwan of the Imam Mosque, built in Isfahan during the Safavid period.
Its chief exponent was Muhammad Riza-i-Imami who worked in Qum, Qazvin and above all, between 1673 and 1677 in Mashad. The death of Shah Abbas I in 1629 marked the beginning of the end for the golden age of Persian architecture.
Detail of enamelled brick at the Mosque of Sheikh Lutfullah in Isfahan, showing Koranic text in stylised Kufic characters.
The last decade of the 16th century saw a vigorous revival of the pottery industry in Iran. Safavid potters developed new types of Chinese inspired Kubachi blue and white polychrome ware, due perhaps to the influence of the three hundred Chinese potters and their families who were settled in Iran (in Kerman) by Shah Abbas I. Ceramic tiles were produced especially in Tabriz and in Samarkand. Other types of ceramics include bottles and flasks from Isfahan.
Early 18th century ewer. Here the Chinese blue and white export ware has been imitated in style.
Kubachi earthenware dish with polychrome design of a dancer and a musician. North-west Iran 17th century.
Textiles were greatly developed during the Safavid period. Isfahan, Kashan and Yezd produced silks, and Isfahan and Yezd satin; Kashan was famous for its brocades.
Persian clothes in the 17th century often had a floral decoration on a light background and the old geometric motifs gave way to the depiction of pseudo-realistic scenes full of human figures.
Long-sleeved coat, with a pattern of drinking dandies, from the first half of the 17th century.
Carpets occupy the major position in the textile field, with key weaving centres in Kerman, Kashan, Shiraz, Yezd, and Isfahan.
There were a great variety of types such as the hunting carpet, the animal carpet, the garden carpet and the flower-vase carpet. The strong pictorial character of so many Safavid carpets owes much to Safavid book painting.
Detail of a Persian hunting carpet from the early Safavid period, Kashan.
In metalwork, the engraving technique developed in Khurassan in the 15th century retained its popularity well into Safavid times. Safavid metalwork produced significant innovations in form, design and technique. They include a type of tall octagonal torch-holder on a circular plinth, a new type of ewer of Chinese inspiration, and the almost total disappearance of Arabic inscriptions in favour of those containing Persian poetry, often by Hafez and Sa'di.
Brass torch stand. Iranian Azerbajian, c. 1579-80
In gold and silver work, Safavid Iran specialised in the production of swords and daggers, and of gold vessels such as bowls and jugs, often set with precious stones.
Safavid metalwork, like so many of the other visual arts, remained the standard for subsequent artists in the Zand and Qajar periods.
Shah Isma'il
Claiming to be the Representative of the Hidden Imam, Isma'il, a young Safavid master, expanded Safavid control over much of Iran, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Azerbaijan, and the Caucusus south of Russia by 1506 AD. He had assumed control of the Safavids in 1494 AD / 900 AH (at the age of seven!), and appears to have gained a fanatical following by not only calling himself the representative of the Hidden Imam, but by claiming to be the Hidden Imam himself (later he would claim divinity). His followers believed that the Hidden Imam had returned and that they were soldiers in the forces of righteousness. Their victory, which was certain, would inaugurate a period of world-wide justice and spirituality.
In 1499 (at the age of twelve!), Isma'il led his army in a war of conquest. In 1500, he conquered the kingdom of Shirvan, and in 1501, he was crowned King of Tabriz (at the age of fourteen). He then declared Shi'a Islam to be the state religion of Tabriz.
By 1512, he controlled all of Iran (do the math yourself). Adopting Persian models of government and bureaucracy, Isma'il declared himself Shah of Iran and became the first Shah of the Safavid dynasty. He enforced Shi'ism on everyone; at the time, Sunni Muslims vastly outnumbered Shi'ites in Iran. He forced them to curse the first three Caliphs and to be ruled under the Shi'ite ulama . Here's a surprise. He succeeded. His efforts to turn Iran into a Shi'ite population was remarkably successful, and Iran to this day is almost entirely Shi'ite.
Isma'il, however, came in conflict with the Ottomans; in a battle at Chaldiran in 1514, Isma'il was defeated by Selim I. From that point onwards, the Safavids and Ottomans were continually at war for more than two hundred years. The Ottomans slowly took territory from the Safavids; Isma'il's successor, Tahmasp I, who ruled from 1524 to 1576, lost enormous amounts of territory to the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman I. The Ottomans, however, never succeeded but they never succeeded in deposing the Safavids.
Isma'il based his political authority on two claims. The first was his claim to inherit the Persian monarchy; the title of the Persian monarch was "Shadow of God on Earth." The second was his claim to be descended from the Seventh Imam and to be the "Representative of the Hidden Imam" (na'ib al-khass ). This latter claim, however, was heretical, for the doctrine of Greater Occultation asserts that the Hidden Imam will have no representative on earth until his reappearance. This heresy, however, was accepted and Shi'ites happily believed the Safavid Shahs to be the Representatives of the Hidden Imam. In the nineteenth century, this title would be transferred to the Shi'ite ulama . This is again heretical, but it lies behind the Iranian respect of the ulama and is a fundamental reason for the position the ulama occupies in the current Islamic republic of Iran.
Claiming to be the Representative of the Hidden Imam, Isma'il, a young Safavid master, expanded Safavid control over much of Iran, Mesopotamia (Iraq), Azerbaijan, and the Caucusus south of Russia by 1506 AD. He had assumed control of the Safavids in 1494 AD / 900 AH (at the age of seven!), and appears to have gained a fanatical following by not only calling himself the representative of the Hidden Imam, but by claiming to be the Hidden Imam himself (later he would claim divinity). His followers believed that the Hidden Imam had returned and that they were soldiers in the forces of righteousness. Their victory, which was certain, would inaugurate a period of world-wide justice and spirituality.
In 1499 (at the age of twelve!), Isma'il led his army in a war of conquest. In 1500, he conquered the kingdom of Shirvan, and in 1501, he was crowned King of Tabriz (at the age of fourteen). He then declared Shi'a Islam to be the state religion of Tabriz.
By 1512, he controlled all of Iran (do the math yourself). Adopting Persian models of government and bureaucracy, Isma'il declared himself Shah of Iran and became the first Shah of the Safavid dynasty. He enforced Shi'ism on everyone; at the time, Sunni Muslims vastly outnumbered Shi'ites in Iran. He forced them to curse the first three Caliphs and to be ruled under the Shi'ite ulama . Here's a surprise. He succeeded. His efforts to turn Iran into a Shi'ite population was remarkably successful, and Iran to this day is almost entirely Shi'ite.
Isma'il, however, came in conflict with the Ottomans; in a battle at Chaldiran in 1514, Isma'il was defeated by Selim I. From that point onwards, the Safavids and Ottomans were continually at war for more than two hundred years. The Ottomans slowly took territory from the Safavids; Isma'il's successor, Tahmasp I, who ruled from 1524 to 1576, lost enormous amounts of territory to the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman I. The Ottomans, however, never succeeded but they never succeeded in deposing the Safavids.
Isma'il based his political authority on two claims. The first was his claim to inherit the Persian monarchy; the title of the Persian monarch was "Shadow of God on Earth." The second was his claim to be descended from the Seventh Imam and to be the "Representative of the Hidden Imam" (na'ib al-khass ). This latter claim, however, was heretical, for the doctrine of Greater Occultation asserts that the Hidden Imam will have no representative on earth until his reappearance. This heresy, however, was accepted and Shi'ites happily believed the Safavid Shahs to be the Representatives of the Hidden Imam. In the nineteenth century, this title would be transferred to the Shi'ite ulama . This is again heretical, but it lies behind the Iranian respect of the ulama and is a fundamental reason for the position the ulama occupies in the current Islamic republic of Iran.
HISTORY- Safavids
SAFAVIDS SHAHS
Isma'il 1 1501-1524
Tahmasp 1 1524-1576
Isma'il 2 1576-1578
Muhammad Khudabande 1578-1588
Abbas 1 1588-1629
Safi 1629-1642
Abbas 2 1642-1666
Sulayman 1666-1694
Sultan Husayn 1694-1722
Tahmasp 2 1722-1732
Nader
Regent 1732-1736
14th century: Shaykh Safi d-Din forms a Sufi order in Ardabil, Azerbaijan.
1399: The Safavid sect changes their Sunni orientation for a Shi'i.
15th century: Junayd Safavi loses a succession dispute in the order, and travels with his supporters to eastern Anatolia. They gained more members among Turkoman nomads, and through marriage Junayd Safavid was able to reach large areas in western and central Iran controlled by the Ay Qoyunly Turkoman Confederation.
1501 July: Junayd's grandson, Isma'il takes control over Tabriz with the help of local Turkomen tribes. He is crowned as shah, and declares Shi'ism state religion.
1502: Isma'il declares himself an infallible Shi'i imam, and descendant of the 7th Shi'i imam Musa al-Kazim.
1500's: Conquers Mosul and Baghdad. Here, too, Shi'ism is declared state religion.
1514 August: Isma'il loses to the Ottoman sultan Selim 1 at Chaldiran. This battle destroyed the claim of the shah that he was infallible and semi-divine figure.
1510's: The Safavids lose the region of Kurdistan.
1533: Baghdad is conquered by the Ottomans. Esfahan becomes temporary capital.
Middle 16th century: Iran becomes weaker due to bad leadership and attacks from neighbour peoples. Some territorial advances are however made in eastern direction.
1580's: Kizilbash chiefs have the heir to the crown murdered together with other important members of the royal family. But the chiefs soon started fighting against each other.
1588: Abbas 1 becomes shah, after having been hiding in the province of Khurasan, surviving the battle of power of the preceding years.
1590: Abbas 1 forges peace with the Ottoman Empire on unfavourable terms, and attacks the Uzbeks in the northeast instead, but without much success.
1599: Abbas 1 gets European aid in reforming the army. The army was reorganized, and divided into slaves, musketeers and artillerymen. They were supplied with European type arms and paid out of the royal treasury.
1602: Abbas 1 drives the Portuguese from the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf.
1603: Abbas 1 defeats the Ottomans, winning back all the territory they had gained from earlier Safavid shahs. Abbas 1 even captured Baghdad.
1623: With help from British officers and troops, drives Abbas 1 the Portuguese from the island of Hormuz, which controlled the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
Early 17th century: Esfahan becomes permanent capital.
1624: The Safavids take back control over Baghdad.
1638: Safavid control over Baghdad is again lost.
1629: Abbas 1 dies, and a period of slow decline starts.
1639: The Treaty of Qasr-e Shirin regulate the border between the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid state. This border correspond in most fields to today's Iran's western border.
1722: Esfahan is captured by the Ghilzai Afghans ruling from Kandahar.
1729: Shah Tahmasp 2 wins back Esfahan.
1732: Tahmasp 2 is deposed by his own troops, under the leadership of Nader Qoli Beg (future Nader Shah).
SAFAVIDS SHAHS
Isma'il 1 1501-1524
Tahmasp 1 1524-1576
Isma'il 2 1576-1578
Muhammad Khudabande 1578-1588
Abbas 1 1588-1629
Safi 1629-1642
Abbas 2 1642-1666
Sulayman 1666-1694
Sultan Husayn 1694-1722
Tahmasp 2 1722-1732
Nader
Regent 1732-1736
14th century: Shaykh Safi d-Din forms a Sufi order in Ardabil, Azerbaijan.
1399: The Safavid sect changes their Sunni orientation for a Shi'i.
15th century: Junayd Safavi loses a succession dispute in the order, and travels with his supporters to eastern Anatolia. They gained more members among Turkoman nomads, and through marriage Junayd Safavid was able to reach large areas in western and central Iran controlled by the Ay Qoyunly Turkoman Confederation.
1501 July: Junayd's grandson, Isma'il takes control over Tabriz with the help of local Turkomen tribes. He is crowned as shah, and declares Shi'ism state religion.
1502: Isma'il declares himself an infallible Shi'i imam, and descendant of the 7th Shi'i imam Musa al-Kazim.
1500's: Conquers Mosul and Baghdad. Here, too, Shi'ism is declared state religion.
1514 August: Isma'il loses to the Ottoman sultan Selim 1 at Chaldiran. This battle destroyed the claim of the shah that he was infallible and semi-divine figure.
1510's: The Safavids lose the region of Kurdistan.
1533: Baghdad is conquered by the Ottomans. Esfahan becomes temporary capital.
Middle 16th century: Iran becomes weaker due to bad leadership and attacks from neighbour peoples. Some territorial advances are however made in eastern direction.
1580's: Kizilbash chiefs have the heir to the crown murdered together with other important members of the royal family. But the chiefs soon started fighting against each other.
1588: Abbas 1 becomes shah, after having been hiding in the province of Khurasan, surviving the battle of power of the preceding years.
1590: Abbas 1 forges peace with the Ottoman Empire on unfavourable terms, and attacks the Uzbeks in the northeast instead, but without much success.
1599: Abbas 1 gets European aid in reforming the army. The army was reorganized, and divided into slaves, musketeers and artillerymen. They were supplied with European type arms and paid out of the royal treasury.
1602: Abbas 1 drives the Portuguese from the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf.
1603: Abbas 1 defeats the Ottomans, winning back all the territory they had gained from earlier Safavid shahs. Abbas 1 even captured Baghdad.
1623: With help from British officers and troops, drives Abbas 1 the Portuguese from the island of Hormuz, which controlled the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
Early 17th century: Esfahan becomes permanent capital.
1624: The Safavids take back control over Baghdad.
1638: Safavid control over Baghdad is again lost.
1629: Abbas 1 dies, and a period of slow decline starts.
1639: The Treaty of Qasr-e Shirin regulate the border between the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid state. This border correspond in most fields to today's Iran's western border.
1722: Esfahan is captured by the Ghilzai Afghans ruling from Kandahar.
1729: Shah Tahmasp 2 wins back Esfahan.
1732: Tahmasp 2 is deposed by his own troops, under the leadership of Nader Qoli Beg (future Nader Shah).
Well... the pre Safavid and post safavid eras are very mesey... so they do have some relievence... coz you cannot periodize it very well....Markusw7 said:
Yep... I am aiming for this thread to be like Tunch's but for Iran...
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Post Safavid Military
Horseman from the Afshar period...
Camel Guns from the Afshar period...
Zend period trooper
Horseman from the Afshar period...
Camel Guns from the Afshar period...
Zend period trooper
Kurdistani said:Post Safavid Military
Camel Guns from the Afshar period...
:rofl: - Wow - this has to be one of the coolest things I've seen all week!
An Iranian Vassal state - Ardalan
Ardalan or (Erdelan) (1169-1867) is the name of a semi-independent state in north-western Iran which ruled an area encompassing present day Iranian province of Kurdistan from medieval period up to mid 19th century. Ardalan is also the name of the ruling family of that state. Their capital was in the city of Sinne (or Sanandaj or Senna). Ardalan state was mainly composed of the Kurdish tribe of Bani Ardalan of present day north-western Iran, now dispersed in and around the city of Sinne. The ruling family of this tribe claimed descent from Saladin.
History
According to Sharaf-al-Din Bitlisi, the renowned Kurdish historian, the earliest known leader of the tribe, Bawa Ardalan, was a descendant of "Ahmad b. Marwan", who ruled in Diyarbakir. He settled down among the Gorans in Kurdistan and toward the end of the Mongol period took over the "Şare Zur "(Sharazur, modern Silémaní) region, where he established himself as an absolute ruler. It is not known when the Ardalans established themselves in Sinne, but it was probably in the 14th century. The territories of Zardiawa (Karadagh), Khanaqin, Kirkuk, and Kifri, which were already the homelands of the Goran-Kurds, all belonged to this principality. The capital city of the principality was first in Sharezur, but was moved to Sinne later on. The Ardalan state was completley independent until it was incorporated into Safavid Empire as a semi-autonomos frontier province. During the Safavid period, the Ardalans were deeply involved in the struggles between the Iranian and Ottoman empires and, whenever it suited them, they shifted their allegiance to the Ottoman state. Ardalans reigned from Safavid period to mid nineteenth century. The Qajar monarch Nasser-al-Din Shah(1848-1896) was determined to undermine the power and influence of Ardalans. He first interfered in the affairs of the province in 1851. Then in 1867, he terminated Ardalan's special status as a semi-autonomos frontier province and named his own uncle, Farhad Mirza Mo'tamad-al-Dawla, as the governor of what has become simply the province of Kurdistan, thus putting an end to the Ardalan Dynasty. In 1941, the Ardalans participated in the first Kurdish revolt in Iran during the World War II. However, they were not involved in the establishment of the Republic of Mahabad in 1946, and the territory of that short-lived seccessionist state did not include Sinne.
Kurdish Culture in Ardalan State
Because the official religion of Ardalan principality was Yarsan (Kakayi or Ahl-e Haqq, or 'People of Truth') not Islam, and because this religion was tied to the Gorani(Hewrami) dialect, Gorani became the official language of the Kurds throughout a rather large region in Kurdistan. Via the Yarsan religious teachings, the Gorani dialect was spread intensively, especially among the poor segments of the population. ln addition, many of the intellectual Kurds living outside the Gorani dialect territories adopted Gorani for their written language. The most famous poets of the Yarsan down through the centuries wrote solely in Gorani dialect. These include Bawa Yadigar (born in Sharazour in the eighth century), Yal-Bagi Jaff (1493-1554), and Khan Almas Khani Luristani (1662-1728). Many other famous Kurdish-Muslim poets have, down the centuries, written in Gorani, such as Mala Pareshani Kurd (still living in 1398/99). He was a Shiite Muslim who was much opposed to the Yarsan beliefs and the Dervishes. Other poets such as Saidi Hawrami (1784-1842), and Mala Abdul-Rahimi Mawlawi Tavgozi (1806-1882) are also worthy of mention.
The blossoming of literature in the Ardalan principality was accompanied by an intense cultivation of music. Music is an essential element of the cultural tradition of the Yarsan religious community. ln connection with this, it is interesting that the Kurds in East and South Kurdistan, where to the Gorani culture was spread, call songs 'Gorani'.
List of Rulers of Ardalan State
Bawa Ardalan (14th century)
Timur Khan Ardalan (During the reign of Shah Tahmasp I).
Khan Ahmad Khan (During the reign of Shah Abbas I)
Soleiman Khan (During the reign of Shah Safi 1629-1642)(He rebuilt the Senna(Sinne) Dij or "the Castle of Senna")[1]
Sobhanverdi Khan (During the reign of Nader Shah)
Ahmad Khan (Son of Sobhanverdi Khan) (He was made governor of a region stretching all the way from Hamadan to Mosul)
Khosrow Khan Bozorgi (1754-1788)
Aman-Allah Khan Bozorgi (1799-1825), was the last important Ardalan ruler (wali).
Ardalan or (Erdelan) (1169-1867) is the name of a semi-independent state in north-western Iran which ruled an area encompassing present day Iranian province of Kurdistan from medieval period up to mid 19th century. Ardalan is also the name of the ruling family of that state. Their capital was in the city of Sinne (or Sanandaj or Senna). Ardalan state was mainly composed of the Kurdish tribe of Bani Ardalan of present day north-western Iran, now dispersed in and around the city of Sinne. The ruling family of this tribe claimed descent from Saladin.
History
According to Sharaf-al-Din Bitlisi, the renowned Kurdish historian, the earliest known leader of the tribe, Bawa Ardalan, was a descendant of "Ahmad b. Marwan", who ruled in Diyarbakir. He settled down among the Gorans in Kurdistan and toward the end of the Mongol period took over the "Şare Zur "(Sharazur, modern Silémaní) region, where he established himself as an absolute ruler. It is not known when the Ardalans established themselves in Sinne, but it was probably in the 14th century. The territories of Zardiawa (Karadagh), Khanaqin, Kirkuk, and Kifri, which were already the homelands of the Goran-Kurds, all belonged to this principality. The capital city of the principality was first in Sharezur, but was moved to Sinne later on. The Ardalan state was completley independent until it was incorporated into Safavid Empire as a semi-autonomos frontier province. During the Safavid period, the Ardalans were deeply involved in the struggles between the Iranian and Ottoman empires and, whenever it suited them, they shifted their allegiance to the Ottoman state. Ardalans reigned from Safavid period to mid nineteenth century. The Qajar monarch Nasser-al-Din Shah(1848-1896) was determined to undermine the power and influence of Ardalans. He first interfered in the affairs of the province in 1851. Then in 1867, he terminated Ardalan's special status as a semi-autonomos frontier province and named his own uncle, Farhad Mirza Mo'tamad-al-Dawla, as the governor of what has become simply the province of Kurdistan, thus putting an end to the Ardalan Dynasty. In 1941, the Ardalans participated in the first Kurdish revolt in Iran during the World War II. However, they were not involved in the establishment of the Republic of Mahabad in 1946, and the territory of that short-lived seccessionist state did not include Sinne.
Kurdish Culture in Ardalan State
Because the official religion of Ardalan principality was Yarsan (Kakayi or Ahl-e Haqq, or 'People of Truth') not Islam, and because this religion was tied to the Gorani(Hewrami) dialect, Gorani became the official language of the Kurds throughout a rather large region in Kurdistan. Via the Yarsan religious teachings, the Gorani dialect was spread intensively, especially among the poor segments of the population. ln addition, many of the intellectual Kurds living outside the Gorani dialect territories adopted Gorani for their written language. The most famous poets of the Yarsan down through the centuries wrote solely in Gorani dialect. These include Bawa Yadigar (born in Sharazour in the eighth century), Yal-Bagi Jaff (1493-1554), and Khan Almas Khani Luristani (1662-1728). Many other famous Kurdish-Muslim poets have, down the centuries, written in Gorani, such as Mala Pareshani Kurd (still living in 1398/99). He was a Shiite Muslim who was much opposed to the Yarsan beliefs and the Dervishes. Other poets such as Saidi Hawrami (1784-1842), and Mala Abdul-Rahimi Mawlawi Tavgozi (1806-1882) are also worthy of mention.
The blossoming of literature in the Ardalan principality was accompanied by an intense cultivation of music. Music is an essential element of the cultural tradition of the Yarsan religious community. ln connection with this, it is interesting that the Kurds in East and South Kurdistan, where to the Gorani culture was spread, call songs 'Gorani'.
List of Rulers of Ardalan State
Bawa Ardalan (14th century)
Timur Khan Ardalan (During the reign of Shah Tahmasp I).
Khan Ahmad Khan (During the reign of Shah Abbas I)
Soleiman Khan (During the reign of Shah Safi 1629-1642)(He rebuilt the Senna(Sinne) Dij or "the Castle of Senna")[1]
Sobhanverdi Khan (During the reign of Nader Shah)
Ahmad Khan (Son of Sobhanverdi Khan) (He was made governor of a region stretching all the way from Hamadan to Mosul)
Khosrow Khan Bozorgi (1754-1788)
Aman-Allah Khan Bozorgi (1799-1825), was the last important Ardalan ruler (wali).
An Iranian Vassal state - Shirvan
Shervan or Shirvan is a historic region in Northern Azerbaijan, stretching between the western shore of the Caspian Sea and the Kura River.
The name is first attested during the Sassanian epoch, when it was used to denote the northern part of Caucasian Albania, or Arran. After the Arabic conquest, it became a hereditary possession of the Khalif's governors.
Between 799 and 1538, the territory was ruled by the Shirvanshahs (a particular Persian title of the royal rank of Shah). It was there that the Persian poet Khaqani (Khaghani) was born. The capital of the Shirvanshahs was Shemakha.
In the 18th century, Shirvan was a khanate whose ruler paid homage to Persia. The Russians briefly overran it during the Russo-Persian War, 1722-1723. After Gulistan Treaty of 1813 the region was absorbed by Imperial Russia.
**********************************************************History
Ruins of bathouses in the Shirvanshah palaceThe role of Shirvanshah (Shirvan) (شرونِشآه) state in national development of Azerbaijan (especially of northern Azerbaijan) is hard to underestimate. It was in a continuing existence as independent or a vassal state, from 861 until 1539; longer than any other dynasty in Islamic world. There are two periods of independent and strong Shirvan state: first in XII century, under sultans Manuchehr and Ahsitan who buid the stronghold of Baku, and second in XV century under Derbendid dynasty. In XIII and XIV Shirvan was a vassal of stronger Mongol and Timurid empires.
First information on Shirvanshahs appears in mid IX century, when they emerged as the Arab or arabized rulers of the semi-independent principality. The heart of this principality was the mountainous stronghold of Shamakha where the capital was established.
Shirvanshahs build many defensive castles across all of Shirvan to resist many foreign invasions. From the walled city of Baku with its Maiden Tower (XII) and many medieval castles in Absheron to impregnable strongholds all over mountains of Shirvan and Shaki, there are many great examples of medieval military architecture. However, Shirvan was greatly devastated by Mongol invasion in 1235, from which it was not able to fully recover for the next century.
A view of the Palace of the ShirvanshahsShirvanshah Ibrahim I revived the country's fortunes, and through his cunning politics managed to resist Timurid conquest, letting the state go with paying a tribute.
Shirvanshahs Khalilullah I and Farrukh Yassar resided over most successful period in a history of Shirvan. Architectural complex of "Shirvanshah palace" in Baku that was also a burial site of the dynasty and Halwatiyya Sufi khaneqa, was build during the reign of those two rulers in mid XV centuries. The Shirvanshah rulers were more or less orthodox Sunni, and thus opposed to heterodox Shi'ism of Safavid Sufi order. In 1462 Sheykh Junayd, the leader of Safavids, was killed in a battle against Shirvanishans near the town of Khachmaz - an event that Safavids never forgot. By 1500, significantly weakened Shirvan suffered the onslaught of avenging Safavids.
Shah Ismail I sacked Baku in 1501, and, avenging his grandfather, exhumed bodies of Shirvanshahs, buried in the mausoleum and burned them. Most of Baku population was forcibly converted to Shi'ism thereafter.
The vassal Shirvan state managed to hang on until 1538, when, weakened by internal conflict and a Qalandari dervish uprising, it became an easy prey to Shah Ismail's son Tahmasp I. He gave Shirvan to his brother Alqas Mirza to rule as a province.
Architecture
Palace of the Shirvanshahs (or Shirvanshahs' Palace, Azerbaijani: Şirvanşahlar sarayı) is the biggest monument of the Shirvan-Absheron branch of the Azerbaijan architecture, situated in the Inner City of Baku. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah's mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi's mausoleum, a portal in the east - Murad's gate, a reservoir and the remnants of the bath-house.
Shahs of Shirvan lineage
Derbendid dynasty (1382-1538)
Khalilullah I (1417-65)
Farrukh Yassar (1465-1500)
Bahram Bey (1500)
Qazi Bey Ibn Farrukh Yassar (1501-02)
Sultan Mahmud (1502)
Ibrahim II Sheykshah (1502-1524)
Khalilullah II(1524-35)
Farrukh Yassar II (?)
Shahrukh (1535-38)
Shervan or Shirvan is a historic region in Northern Azerbaijan, stretching between the western shore of the Caspian Sea and the Kura River.
The name is first attested during the Sassanian epoch, when it was used to denote the northern part of Caucasian Albania, or Arran. After the Arabic conquest, it became a hereditary possession of the Khalif's governors.
Between 799 and 1538, the territory was ruled by the Shirvanshahs (a particular Persian title of the royal rank of Shah). It was there that the Persian poet Khaqani (Khaghani) was born. The capital of the Shirvanshahs was Shemakha.
In the 18th century, Shirvan was a khanate whose ruler paid homage to Persia. The Russians briefly overran it during the Russo-Persian War, 1722-1723. After Gulistan Treaty of 1813 the region was absorbed by Imperial Russia.
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Ruins of bathouses in the Shirvanshah palaceThe role of Shirvanshah (Shirvan) (شرونِشآه) state in national development of Azerbaijan (especially of northern Azerbaijan) is hard to underestimate. It was in a continuing existence as independent or a vassal state, from 861 until 1539; longer than any other dynasty in Islamic world. There are two periods of independent and strong Shirvan state: first in XII century, under sultans Manuchehr and Ahsitan who buid the stronghold of Baku, and second in XV century under Derbendid dynasty. In XIII and XIV Shirvan was a vassal of stronger Mongol and Timurid empires.
First information on Shirvanshahs appears in mid IX century, when they emerged as the Arab or arabized rulers of the semi-independent principality. The heart of this principality was the mountainous stronghold of Shamakha where the capital was established.
Shirvanshahs build many defensive castles across all of Shirvan to resist many foreign invasions. From the walled city of Baku with its Maiden Tower (XII) and many medieval castles in Absheron to impregnable strongholds all over mountains of Shirvan and Shaki, there are many great examples of medieval military architecture. However, Shirvan was greatly devastated by Mongol invasion in 1235, from which it was not able to fully recover for the next century.
A view of the Palace of the ShirvanshahsShirvanshah Ibrahim I revived the country's fortunes, and through his cunning politics managed to resist Timurid conquest, letting the state go with paying a tribute.
Shirvanshahs Khalilullah I and Farrukh Yassar resided over most successful period in a history of Shirvan. Architectural complex of "Shirvanshah palace" in Baku that was also a burial site of the dynasty and Halwatiyya Sufi khaneqa, was build during the reign of those two rulers in mid XV centuries. The Shirvanshah rulers were more or less orthodox Sunni, and thus opposed to heterodox Shi'ism of Safavid Sufi order. In 1462 Sheykh Junayd, the leader of Safavids, was killed in a battle against Shirvanishans near the town of Khachmaz - an event that Safavids never forgot. By 1500, significantly weakened Shirvan suffered the onslaught of avenging Safavids.
Shah Ismail I sacked Baku in 1501, and, avenging his grandfather, exhumed bodies of Shirvanshahs, buried in the mausoleum and burned them. Most of Baku population was forcibly converted to Shi'ism thereafter.
The vassal Shirvan state managed to hang on until 1538, when, weakened by internal conflict and a Qalandari dervish uprising, it became an easy prey to Shah Ismail's son Tahmasp I. He gave Shirvan to his brother Alqas Mirza to rule as a province.
Architecture
Palace of the Shirvanshahs (or Shirvanshahs' Palace, Azerbaijani: Şirvanşahlar sarayı) is the biggest monument of the Shirvan-Absheron branch of the Azerbaijan architecture, situated in the Inner City of Baku. The complex contains the main building of the palace, Divanhane, the burial-vaults, the shah's mosque with a minaret, Seyid Yahya Bakuvi's mausoleum, a portal in the east - Murad's gate, a reservoir and the remnants of the bath-house.
Shahs of Shirvan lineage
Derbendid dynasty (1382-1538)
Khalilullah I (1417-65)
Farrukh Yassar (1465-1500)
Bahram Bey (1500)
Qazi Bey Ibn Farrukh Yassar (1501-02)
Sultan Mahmud (1502)
Ibrahim II Sheykshah (1502-1524)
Khalilullah II(1524-35)
Farrukh Yassar II (?)
Shahrukh (1535-38)
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Shirvan Khanate
In 1742 Shemakha was taken and destroyed by Nadir Shah of Persia, who relocated inhabitants into a new town under the same name about 16 miles to the west (Agsu) , at the foot of the main chain of the Caucasus. The new Shemakha was a residence of the Khans of Shirvan. Smaller Old Shamakha khanate continuned to exist under Muhammad Sa'id Khan (1748-1786) until the merge of the two. After the merger the New Shamakha finally abandoned, and the old town rebuilt in 1786. During 1768-1778 Shirvan khanate was a dependency of much stronger Quba Khanate. In 1795 Russians captured Shemakha as well as Baku; but the conquest was once more abandoned, and Shirvan was not finally annexed by Russia until 1805.
Rulers
New Shamakha (Shirvan Khanate)
1748 - 1763 Muhammad `Ali Khan
1763 - 1768 Aghazi Khan (1st time)
1768 - 1769 Fath `Ali Khan
1769 - 1770 `Abd Allah Beg
1770 - 1778 Ildar Beg
1778 - 1786 Aghazi Khan (2nd time)
1786 - 1789 Askar Khan
1789 - 1796 Qasim Khan
1796 - 1820 Mustafa Khan
In 1742 Shemakha was taken and destroyed by Nadir Shah of Persia, who relocated inhabitants into a new town under the same name about 16 miles to the west (Agsu) , at the foot of the main chain of the Caucasus. The new Shemakha was a residence of the Khans of Shirvan. Smaller Old Shamakha khanate continuned to exist under Muhammad Sa'id Khan (1748-1786) until the merge of the two. After the merger the New Shamakha finally abandoned, and the old town rebuilt in 1786. During 1768-1778 Shirvan khanate was a dependency of much stronger Quba Khanate. In 1795 Russians captured Shemakha as well as Baku; but the conquest was once more abandoned, and Shirvan was not finally annexed by Russia until 1805.
Rulers
New Shamakha (Shirvan Khanate)
1748 - 1763 Muhammad `Ali Khan
1763 - 1768 Aghazi Khan (1st time)
1768 - 1769 Fath `Ali Khan
1769 - 1770 `Abd Allah Beg
1770 - 1778 Ildar Beg
1778 - 1786 Aghazi Khan (2nd time)
1786 - 1789 Askar Khan
1789 - 1796 Qasim Khan
1796 - 1820 Mustafa Khan