A Reflection on the Arrangements of the Safavids in Providing Security and taking care of the Hajj routes

Abstract

Safavids (1135- 907 A. H) took important measures in regard with the political, military, economic and religious fields in order to give legitimacy to their government. Since facilitating and securing the Hajj journey was always considered one of the main components of stable power in Islamic societies, Safavids, while establishing stable security at the borders and communication network of their territory, paid a lot of attention to the construction and repair of communicative roads especially pilgrimage routes. Taking advantages of the descriptive-analytical method of research, the question has been answered on the extent the attention of Safavids towards establishing the security of the Hajj routes and pursuing the demands of the pilgrims eas effective on the prosperity of the Hajj. The findings of this research clarify that although the Safavids in some years prohibited Iranians from going to Hajj for some reasons; at the same time, in order to gain legitimacy and to strengthen their government, they paid special attention to the virtue of Hajj and the security of roads and they pursued the demands of Iranian pilgrims from the Ottomans (1342- 699) and the rulers of the Hajj route, and this led to the prosperity of trade, the prosperity of caravanserais and highways, as well as the elimination of unemployment.

Keywords

• safavids
• hajj
• hajj route
• ottoman caliphate
• economic history