Copyrighted Material of the author------------------------ILCAA Forum
Date:11 October 2012（Thu.）13:30–14:30
Venue:304(ILCAA)
Speaker：Mansur SEFATGOL(Visiting Professor, ILCAA; University of Tehran)
Title:"Europian(Farangi) and Europe (Farang) in Iranian Historiography: A case study ofthe chronicles of The Safavid era (16th - 18th centuries)"--------------------------------

Jean Chardin, a French traveler who spent several years in Iran, claimed that Safavidgovernment(1501-1736) officials were poorly informed about conditions in Europe and thatmost courtiers took Europe to be a little island in the Northern Seas. With regard to theposition of Chardin, and his considerable knowledge of the cultural and political conditionsof Iran during the Safavid period, especially the seventeenth century, this claim must betaken seriously. But it seems that the question of Iranian knowledge of the West during theSafavid period needs more research. The principal aim of this study is to explore theunderstanding of Iranians of the West during this period. The study will be treated byinvestigating both Safavid chronicles and other historical documents.
The establishment of the Safavid state in Iran coincided with the overseas expansion of thecountries on Europe`s Atlantic seaboard and the beginning of direct relations between Iran and theWest began. Two main factors, war with the Ottomans and trade, led to the establishment of close
relations between the Safavid kingdom and European states. Through the presence of Westerners in
Iran as travelers, merchants, adventurers, diplomatic envoys and missionaries, the Iranian elite andcourtiers changed their views and understanding of the West. Despite the persistence of traditional
opinions about the West, which Iranians inherited from the pre-Safavid period, it appears that theychanged their understanding gradually and names like Farang (Europe), Farangi (European) andFarangistan were re-defined. This was because of, first, direct contact with Westerners in Iran;second, events relating to the military and political conditions of the Ottoman Empire; and finallythe land and maritime contacts with the Indian Subcontinent. For the subject of this study, the mostimportant question is, how did Safavid chroniclers represent past and present information about theWest in their works? It seems that during the sixteenth century, because of the presence of thePortuguese and Spanish in the East, the Safavid historians were familiar with those two names.
Although there were no close diplomatic relations between the Safavid state and Portugal, and theSafavids did not send diplomatic envoys to Europe in this period, there were common interests
which gave rise to relations between Iran and the West. However, this had little effect on thecomposition of Safavid chronicles. Up until the end of the sixteenth century, there were no details
concerning Europe in Safavid historical writings.

The picture of Farang and Farangi in Safavid sources varies according to the kind of source.
To some poets, the Farangi was the supreme example of beauty of which they said: Farangi: Idolor moon? From the commercial point of view, there were those who came to Iran with gold andsilver coins to purchase the Safavid silk and other commodities. As for the Safavid government,
sometimes they were allies against the Ottomans.Within the framework of traditional Safavid
historical writing, the focus of which was significant dynastic events, there was no reason to include
much information about the West.As for the most part, European commercial, political, andmilitary developments remained marginal to Safavid affairs,it is noy altogheter surprising thatSafavid histories only very rarely mention the names of European kings and rulers. Many of theexisting written sources about the West concern religious polemic. These demonstrate the attemptsof the religious leaders to refute Christianity.It seems that Safavid Iran had an ideology, theyconsidered to be superior and purer to that of foreigners like Europeans, so they did not need torefer to the them generally. For them Iran was the center of the universe and the Safavid Kings wereits pivot. They believed that they were the only true believers on earth. Safavid Iran was a rich andflourishing country and it seems that because of this pride and perhaps negligence, they did notconcern themselves with problems like the growing European naval and commercial power.
On the other hand, although Iranian curiosity towards new subjects were recorded by theEuropean travellers, it seems that the motivations that caused the Europeans to begin a newunderstanding of the world was not present amongst the Iranians to any great extent. An analysis ofthe Safavid sources makes it clear that in the period from the reign of Shah Abbas I. to the finalyears of Safavid rule, a considerable and increasing number of people travelled abroad, but themain destination was India. There is not much detail about those who travelled to Europe. It seems
that during the last years of Safavid rule, the Iranians began to investigate other parts of the world,but only gradually. However, the fall of the Safavid rule in Iran, led to a long interruption in thisprocess.