Reducing the power of the Qizilbash and the completion of the Caucasian layer Abbas I of Persia

anthony shirley , robert shirley (pictured in 1622) helped modernize persian army.

the qizilbash had provided backbone of safavid army beginning of safavid rule , occupied many posts in government. result, effective power in state in days of dynasty held qizilbash, leaving shah powerless. counterbalance power , decisive answer problem, abbas turned newly introduced members of iranian society (an initiative put in place shah tahmasp i) ghulams (a word literally meaning slaves ). these newly introduced slaves, shah created gunpowder force, reaching numbers 37,000 soldiers, funded crown. weakened power qizilbash had against crown no longer had military monopoly in persia. janissaries of neighbouring ottoman empire, these ghulams georgians, circassians , armenians had been brought iran en masse (by conquest , slave trade), had converted or had been converted islam, , had taken service in army, royal household or civil administration, , loyal shah. under abbas leadership new grouping in iranian society (also called third force) grew in influence , power, many thousands of ethnic georgians, circassians , armenians becoming integral part of iranian society , taking key government, royal household , military positions.

tahmasp i, second safavid shah, had realised, looking @ own empire , of neighbouring ottomans, faced ongoing threats dangerous rival factions , internal family rivalries threat him head of state. if not managed, these rivalries represented serious threat ruler or lead unnecessary court intrigues. tahmasp, problem revolved around military tribal elite of empire, qezelbāš, believed physical proximity , control of member of immediate safavid family guaranteed spiritual advantages, political fortune , material advancement.

therefore, between 1540 , 1555, tahmasp conducted series of invasions of caucasus region provided battle experience soldiers, leading capture of large numbers of christian circassian , georgian slaves (30,000 in these 4 raids). these slaves form basis of safavid military slave system. these slaves serve similar role in formation, implementation , use janissaries of neighbouring ottoman empire. arrival in such large numbers led formation of new grouping in iranian society solely composed of ethnic caucasians. although first slave soldiers not organized until abbas reign, during tahmasp s time caucasians become important members of royal household, harem , in civil , military administration.

learning grandfather, abbas (who had been used vying qizilbash factions during youth) decided encourage new (caucasian) grouping in iranian society, realized must impose authority on qezelbāš or remain tool. under abbas, single-handedly encouraged growth in influence , power of new grouping, called third force. estimated during abbas reign alone 130,000 200,000 georgians, tens of thousands of circassians, , around 300,000 armenians deported caucasus persia s heartland, significant number gaining responsibilities , roles in iranian society, including of highest positions of state, including ghulam corps. many of deported caucasus settled in various regions of iran , became craftsmen, farmers, cattle breeders, traders, soldiers, generals, governors , peasants within iranian society. part of ghulam slave system, abbas expanded ghulam military corps (also known ḡolāmān-e ḵāṣṣa-ye-e šarifa, tr. crown servants ) few hundred during tahmasp s era, 15,000 highly trained cavalrymen, part of whole army division of 40,000 caucasian ghulams. abbas reduced number of qizilbash provincial governorships , systematically moved qizilbash governors other districts, disrupting ties local community , reducing power. replaced ghulams, loyalty shah.

by 1595, allahverdi khan, georgian, had become 1 of powerful men in safavid state when appointed governor-general of fars, 1 of richest provinces in persia. power reached peak in 1598, when became commander-in-chief of armed forces. not did ghulam system allowed shah control , manage rival qizilbash turks , persians, resolved budgetary problems, in short term @ least, restoring shah s complete control of provinces formerly governed qizilbash chiefs, provinces revenues supplemented royal treasury. on, government officials collected taxes , remitted them directly royal treasury. in harem, circassians , georgians rapidly replaced turcoman factions and, result, gained significant direct influence on meritocratic safavid bureaucracy , court of safavid state.

the increasing numbers of georgians , circassians in safavid bureaucracy , court of safavid state vied qizilbash power , result became involved in court intrigues. competition influence saw queens (and supporters in harem, court , bureaucracy) compete against each other in order own sons on throne. competition increased under abbas , successors weakened dynasty considerably. abbas own son , crown prince, mohammad baqer mirza, caught in court intrigue involving several leading circassians, cost him life.

though ghulam system did not work had after safavids, third force continue play crucial role during rest of safavid era , later until fall of qajar dynasty.