Investigating the Status and Performance of Qezelbash Crown in The Political Evolutions of Safawid Period

In an initiative measure, Sheikh Heydar Safawi propagated Qezelbash crown as the sign for Safawid order, and the followers of that order were known as Qezelbash afterwards. Attributing the crown to Imam Ali (pbuh) and the existence of 12 cracks made it a sign of Shiism. In the course of time, there appeared some changes in the structure of the crown and some decorations were added to it. The Safawid kings would put it in their head along with a feathered hat. Qezelbashs tried to use it exclusively, but gradually, other groups and individuals were allowed to put on the crown. Those who became obedient to Safawid government would put on the crown as a sign for their obedience and loyalty. This continued up to the end of Safawid dynasty, and even after the fall of that dynasty, the claimants to succession of Safawids would use that crown. The present article tries to use historical sources to investigate the importance, the status and performance of Qezelbash crown under Safawids. The research method was using library sources as well as a comparison and analysis of the existing sources, especially the original ones. In the present study, after gathering the necessary information, we have dealt with organizing the information, analyzing them and extracting conclusions.