Examination of the Quranic Narrative in the Safavid Historiography of Shah Ismail's Rise to Power

Abstract

The ascension of Shah Ismail Safavi (907-930 AH) and the establishment of the Safavid dynasty constitute one of the most significant events in Iranian history. Scholars of the Safavid era, particularly, have focused on this event, making it a pivotal aspect of Safavid historiography. The prevailing perspective shaping the reflection of this event in Safavid historiography is the presentation of a religious and doctrinal narrative. This approach, influenced by the religious outlook prevalent in Iranian historiography and the specific religious nature of the Safavids, underscores the use of Quranic verses as a central theme in Safavid historians' accounts of Shah Ismail's rise to power. The primary concern of this research is to investigate the role of Quranic verses in the Safavid historiographical narrative of Shah Ismail's ascension. The findings of the study indicate that the Quranic narrative of Safavid historians on Shah Ismail's rise is reflected in five components: legitimizing the rule, Quranic narrative of Ismail's victories, describing opponents, drawing parallels between Ismail's life and divine prophets, and ultimately justifying Ismail's often violent actions. Legitimizing the rule was the primary concern of Safavid historians and had two axes: legitimizing the entirety of Safavid rule and legitimizing the rule and actions of Shah Ismail. Safavid historians have endeavored to use Quranic verses in line with these objectives.

Keywords

• quranic narrative
• historiography
• shah ismail
• safavids
• narrative