The Contexts and Role of Government Policies in the Development of Cultural Creativity in Safavid Iran

Abstract

Creativity in its general sense is the condition for cultural dynamism and the development of civilization. One of the strengths of contemporary Western civilization is the attraction and employment of elites. Cultural creativity can lead to symbolic production that is especially manifest in works of art. The purpose of this article is to explain the path of cultural creativity in the Safavid historical period. Actually, in terms of historical and artistic works, the Safavid period stands unique in Iranian history, which is a proof of the development of cultural creativity at that time. This article examines the role of government in promoting cultural creativity with a policy approach. The main question is "what policies led to the growth and development of cultural creativity in the Safavid period?" To answer this question, the pre-Safavid cultural context underlying subsequent policies has been examined. Also, based on historical propositions, an attempt has been made to extract and categorize the cultural and public policies of the Safavid government that have directly and indirectly affected cultural creativity. The results of this research, which was conducted by the library method, have identified a set of policies and actions of the Safavid government that have been effective in promoting cultural creativity. Cultural policies are categorized into four categories: identity, religion, development, and advocacy. Also, the policy of cultural interaction and exposure to cultural diversity has been identified as an effective one in the field of production and consumption of cultural products and the growth of creativity. The combination of these cultural and other public policies in the Safavid period, which led to the improvement of economic conditions and the formation of new social classes, was the cause of the growth and development of cultural creativity.

Keywords

• cultural creativity
• history of iran
• islamic civilization
• safavid period
• cultural policy