Shia and the Social History of Iranians in the Safavid Era

Different factors have influenced the formation of the social history of every nation or the followers of every religion. For a multifaceted investigation of the social history of any nation, all the causes and factors which play a role in creating its social history must be taken into consideration. One of the above- mentioned causes or factors is paying attention to the functions of religions and religious denominations, which is considered as one of the highly influential components in the social history and the collective identity of nations. This paper has used Annales Method in historiography so as to examine the role of religion as well as Shiite school of thought in Iran in Safavid era, looking at history through a sociological lens. The most significant achievement of the present research is identifying and analyzing some of the beliefs, rituals, institutions and symbols of Shiite school, which have played a positive role in creating the collective identity of Iranians in Safavid era. Therefore, the present study has explored factors and issues which had a great influence on the social behaviors and performance of Iranians in Safavid era, and strengthened the Shiite identity in Iranian society and thus separated them from non-Shiite societies on one hand, and paved the ground for the creation of an independent Shiite nation on the other