‘GAZETTEER OF PERSIA VOL. I Comprising the Provinces of ASTARÁBÁD, SHÁHRUD-BÚSTAN, KHÚRÁSÁN, AND SÍSTÁN’ [‎286r] (578/722)

ancient empire. The Arab conquest of Persia in the seventh century
converted the people of Persia from the religion of the Magians to that
of the Kuran ; but at the same time it established a foreign yoke. Indeed,
from the seventh century until the commencement of the sixteenth century
Persia seems to have had no national existence. In the first instance
she formed a province only of the Arab empire of the khalifs of Damas
cus and Baghdad ; and subsequently she became a mere province of
the Tartarian empires of Jenghis Khan and Taimur. At no period during
this interval does she appear to have maintained her independence as a sub
stantive state, or to have possessed an individual history. On the contrary,
the yoke of the Arabs, as well as that of Taimur and his successors, was
that of foreigners; and consequently there was no bond of union between
the people and their rulers, except the common profession of Islam. Even
in the matter of religion there was a grave sectarian difference between the
Persians and their conquerors, which had arisen almost immediately after
the subjection of the country by the Arabs and the conversion of the nation
to the Mussalman creed. The khalifahs of Baghdad and the Turki
dynasty of Taimur and his successors were alike Sunnis; but the people of
Persia had exhibited from the first a deep sympathy with the cause of All,
and consequently belonged to the sect of Shiahs.
This attachment of the Persian nation to the Shiah faith has proved of
paramount importance in resuscitating and maintaining its individual
existence. The revolution which established the Safavian dynasty on the
throne of Persia may be regarded as a religious movement, which imparted
new life to the nation, and enabled it to throw off the yoke of ages and
establish its independence. Shah Ismail, the founder of the dynasty, was
a prophet of the Shiahs, who successfully appealed to the popular enthusiasm
for the Shiah faith, as a weapon by which to overthrow the Uzbak dynasty.
The new Safavian sovereigns reached the zenith of their power under Shah
Abbas the Great, about the commencement of the seventeenth century.
His empire extended to the Oxus, and included Herat and Kandahar. On
the south it extended over the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Shah Abbas was an able
administrator; but his later years were stained by a cruel jealousy of his
own sons, which led to horrible tragedies. Under his successors the empire
rapidly degenerated, and the national life ebbed away. At every succession
one member only of the royal family was taken from an effeminate prison
and placed upon the throne ; whilst all the others were either murdered or
deprived of their eyesight. Then generally followed a reign of sensuality.
And the travellers of that period furnish graphic pictures of the orgies of
intoxicated sovereigns; the bastinadoing of offending guests ; the mutila
tion of musicians and dancing-girls in drunken freaks ; and the frequent
murder of concubines or favourites, or even of sons, in fits of jealousy.
Meantime the outlying provinces threw off the Persian supremacy. Turkey
obtained possession of Georgia, Azarbaijan, and Kurdistan; and the Imam
of Muskat established his sovereignty over the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. .
During the last year of the Safavian dynasty, the Afghans to the
eastward asserted and maintained their independence at Herat and Kandahar.
Subsequently, the Afghans were impelled, partly by hope of plunder and
partly by religious hatred towards the Shiahs, to move on towards Isfahan.
Here, after a desperate siege, in which cannibalism was openly practised m
the streets of the capital, the Afghans compelled Shah Husain, who may
be called the last of the Safavian sovereigns; to abdicate the throne.