پژوهش های تاریخی (Sep 2020)
Analysis of the Failed Relationship of the Venetians with Shah Tahmasb Safavid Based on Untranslated Italian Sources
Abstract
Abstract: The reign of Shah Tahmasb Safavid (1524-1576 AD) witnessed many changes in Iranian foreign policy. In this transformation, the independent variable was the Ottoman problem. For the cautious Safavid king, the main foreign policy priority was to de-escalate tensions with the Ottoman government, so that the dependent variable (i.e. relations with European governments) including Venice, was affected by relations with the Ottomans. If before the conclusion of the Amasya Peace Treaty (1555 AD), the Venetians hoped to unite with Iran against the Ottomans, after the conclusion of this treaty, their efforts failed. The sudden withdrawal of the Venetians from the request for an alliance with Iran, which took place after the dispatch of Membre and their peace with the Ottomans (1539 AD), angered Shah Tahmaseb. With the death of Suleiman (1566 AD) and the coming to power of Salim II, he annulled the previous treaties with the Venetians and threatened them, causing the Venetians to reconsider their alliance with Iran. After concluding a Lega Santa with some European governments, Khajeh Ali Tabrizi and Di Alessandri went to Tahmasb's court to test the process of unification, but Tahmasb never welcomed the Venetian ambassador. The bitter experience of Membre's embassy, the conclusion of the Amasya peace treaty, the existence of internal problems such as the Rebellion in Ghilan, Di Alessandri's impatience, Tahmasb's insistence on taking practical action by the European Union, and the fear of Turkish unease caused Shah not to pay attention to the ambassador of Venice. This was a bitter end to the Venetians' relationship with Shah Tahmasb. Introduction: The long period of Shah Tahmasb had a great impact on the consolidation and strength of the Safavid dynasty. During her reign, the Venetians, who were under increasing and crushing Ottoman blows, twice decided to test the alliance with Iran against the Ottomans, which dates back to the time of Uzun Hassan Aq Quyunlu, but several factors prevented this alliance from ever forming. The present study tries to deal with this issue from a new angle (i.e. the study of untranslated Italian language sources). Untranslated sources refer to those sources that have been written in Italian but have not been translated. Among these sources are consular reports and letters in the archives of the government of Venice, some of which were collected in 1282 AH/1865 AD by Guglielmo Berchet (1913-1833 AD) and under the published book The Republic of Venice and Iran (La repubblica di Venazia e la Persia). Another important source is the collection of reports of the Venetian ambassadors to the Senate (le relazioni dellambasciatori veneti al senato) compiled by Alberi. In general, the aim of this research is to find the cause(s) and the reason(s) for the non-realization of the union of Iran and Venice, despite the great efforts and enthusiasm of the Venetians, based on reading Italian untranslated sources. Materials and Methods: The present article, with a descriptive-analytical approach and based on library studies, seeks to find the answer to this question: what was the reason for the failure of the Venetians to establish an alliance with Shah Tahmasb? Discussion of Results and Conclusions In 1539 AD, the Venetians sent Michel Membre to the court of Shah Tahmasb and demanded an alliance with Iran against the Ottoman Turks. But when the Venetian ambassador was at the court of Iran, the Venetian government made peace with the Ottomans, which was accompanied by the unhappiness of Shah Tahmaseb and the dismissal of the Venetian ambassador. It was a pact that Tahmaseb was not willing to break in any way. With the beginning of the reign of Salim II and his invasion of Cyprus and other Venetian conquests, a holy alliance was formed in Europe to oppose the Turkish sultan, and for this purpose, Khajeh Ali Tabrizi and Vincenzo Di Alessandri left for Iran to fight Shah Tahmaseb for an alliance. They call against the Ottomans. But for some reason, he, who was a cautious emperor and did not have a good mentality about the Venetians because of the issue of membership, did not accept the Venetian ambassador. Concerns about the unrest in Ghilan have been exacerbated, and the Shah, who did not want to worry about the Ottomans by accepting a Venetian ambassador, used his excuse. Seeing practical action on the part of the Europeans, he ordered the ambassador to be released. An action that disappointed the Venetians and led them to make peace with the Ottomans.
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