Shah Abbas II – Of the Kizilbash
Shah Abbas II – Of the Kizilbash (1651 – 1661)
It was now almost 200 years since Shah Ali had been lifted to rule the lands of Persia. His rise to power had much to do with the Kizilbash, the Shiite tribesmen who formed the early army of the Safavids and disposed of the Black Sheep Turcoman. Not surprising the tribes had always felt they deserved a certain level of influence over the Shah and had maintained it until Abbas the Great came to power. Abbas kept the Kizilbash under tight control removing many of their powers. After his death the tribes again began to push the boundaries as they yearned to regain their hold over the Shah. Safi of course let them and they gradually regained much of the power they had lost. Abbas II had put up with them during the early years of his reign but now felt in a position to put them in their place once and for all.
It was in the summer of 1652 when they again pushed at the limits of their powers. One of the tribal leaders visited Abbas suggesting an attack on the nearby Sunni state of Sindh. When Abbas rebuffed him the man kicked up an almighty fuss claiming ancient rites not used for over a century. In response Abbas had the Kurdish levy sent into the eastern strongholds of the tribes. The Kurds were tough men from the western region of the empire and were under specific instructions to cause as much trouble as they could among the tribes. Returning the favour almost all the eastern tribes rose up against Abbas.
Abbas strikes out against the Kizilbash
The Kurdish levy marched on as trouble flared up all over the south-eastern reaches of the Empire. Meanwhile further north similar uprisings among the tribes occurred. Almost typically of the Empire these days revolts sprung up all over the far western regions also.
Dealing with the tribes
Despite the huge numbers of rebels the army dealt with them without really breaking a sweat. The Safavid Army was still the greatest in the world and there were few armies who could even pretend to match it. Unfortunately removing the tribes from power caused mayhem across the Empire as petty warlords and corrupt officials attempted to fill the void of power left by the expelling of the tribes. It took Abbas and the army almost 5 years to regain reasonable control of the Empire.
Many of the politicians in court now believed Abbas had underestimated the effect hitting out at the tribes would have. Indeed Abbas didn’t expect such a fierce backlash from all corners of the Empire but it had been worth it. The Kizilbash had taken a heavy beating and Abbas believed they were spent. He also ordered the construction of two new warships at Alexandria to improve the navy and hopefully allow the Safavids to inflict more obvious victories on their European opponents.
For the first time in a long time the Safavids were short on money. The chaos of the last 5 years hadn’t been good for taxes and the continuous train of colonists being sent to the SSA was also putting a strain on the economy. Regardless things appeared to be back on track but then the Kizilbash once again reared their ugly heads. They weren’t bold enough to fight against Abbas but fighting against each other was still no problem for them. Abbas was furious but took out a loan to throw money at them and saw a tribal war. The chaos that would be caused by clan warfare was too much for the again fragile Empire.
…and still they fight.
After much thought Abbas came up with an idea to cripple the tribes further. Inspired by the now common peasant response to the tribesmen of ‘Why don’t you kill yourself you ain’t no use to no-one else’ Abbas decided that the tribes should be outlawed. Of course he knew he couldn’t simply kill all the tribesmen so he elected to give them the region of Afghanistan. Here they could operate under their local laws and must pay tribute to Isfahan but weren’t technically part of the Safavid Empire.
A permanent solution?
All other tribesmen were exiled. This did present a problem though. The Kizilbash were highly religious and many of the tribesmen would not leave Abbas who was in effect their religious leader. To deal with this Abbas founded a new regiment of elite soldiers to protect the Shah and carry out his will. They were to become known as the Kizilbash Guard and were fiercely loyal to the Shah each man willing to give their life for him at his will.
A loyal Kizilbash Guardsman
Finally after many years of anguish the merchant class in Isfahan began to grow in power. In 1661 they requested privileges previously saved for the heads of the tribes and nobles of Empire. Abbas of course granted them without a second thought. The Empire had to be modernised and this was the way to do it!
Abbas’ anti-tribal policies show signs of paying off
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Another song lyric in there if you can get it Its simple enough to spot just not sure how well known the band are.