When his father Muhammed Hudabende lost his sight, the conflict between the emirs reached its peak. The impact of his wife Begum’s policy against orders cannot be denied. The emirs, who emerged victorious from the political turmoil following the death of Hudabende by taking Begum’s head, placed the young Abbas on the Safavid throne. Thus, Abbas, who was only 10 years old, shared the fate of the sultans.

In lands devoid of authority, competition broke out between emirs who did not accept the shah who was a child and those who declared him shah. Azerbaijan came under Ottoman rule because of these complications. Internal conflicts became so intense that the Uzbeks besieged Herat. Mashhad Governor Murshid Kulu Khan, who eliminated the internal turmoil, returned the power and authority to Shah Abbas, who was 17 years old and had been kept away from state affairs until that day, in October 1587.

This is the date of his actual ascension to the throne. In his early days, he faced serious issues regarding foreign policy. In order to eliminate the negativities of the chaos, he put an end to the dominance of the Turkmen emirs. He wanted to reform the army. Why did he take the Ottoman Kapıkulu Ocakları as an example? The fact that the Qizilbash Turkmen emirs oppressed the throne with their military and gun power encouraged him for reforms.

The army composed of Circassians, Georgians and Armenians was called ‘kul’ and its leaders were called ‘kullar agha’. Moreover, the Shah, who considered the Turkmens a threat, created ‘riflemen units’ in order to discipline them. He decided to benefit not only from the Qizilbash Turkmens but also from the local elements of Iran. He put an end to the local emirates in Gilan, Mazandaran, Sistan, Lar and Luristan and expanded Safavid rule to the Indian border.

Continued in Deep History March Issue…