The religious and political approach of Shah Abbas I Safavid in dealing with the Sunnis

Abstract

The coming to power of the Safavid dynasty with Shiite ideas was a blow to the Sunni Ottoman monarchy, which in fact could not tolerate this emerging government, so it fought against it to the fullest extent. Fatwas declaring Shiites bloodthirsty by Ottoman muftis and sultans, and the reciprocal cursing of Sunni sanctities, war, and bloodshed by the Sufi Qizilbas and Safavid kings, made it difficult to form a stable and unifying government in Iran. Sunni neighbors attacked Iran with frequent attacks on border areas, attracting some disgruntled Sunnis inside the country, and creating insecurity. In this regard, the emergence of Abbas I, a powerful king seeking to regain lost areas of Iran, with his lenient view towards religions and sects and in sensitive religious conditions, saw the solution for the security and development of the country as exploiting the capacity of the tribes and sects inside the country. Therefore, in addition to limiting the Tabaras, he dealt with the Qalandars and Qizilbas, who were famous for sedition and discord, and used the capacity of Sunnis in the army and made them responsible. He also benefited from moderate Shiite scholars and, in fact, applied balance and equilibrium in the management of the country.