Causes of Change in Religion of Georgians Living in Iran During the Safavid Period; With Emphasis on the Georgians of Mazandaran

One of the noteworthy issues of Western tourists who have been in Iran, is how Georgians become Muslim, especially during and after the Safavid era. Most of these tourists have described Georgians as unstable and weak in their religion and consider their converting to Islam to be expedient and for benefits. From the viewpoint of Western tourists, Georgians at that time longed for a return to Christianity. However, the results of this study show that Georgians living in Iran during the reign of Shah Abbas I, especially Georgians migrating to different regions such as Isfahan and Mazandaran, contrary to this claim, were mainly from the weak class of Georgia and were not happy with the Christianity as the religion of the upper class and the rulers of Georgia. They have chosen Islam at the right time and, contrary to the claims of some Western tourists, have been steadfast in their new religion and specifically the Shiite religion, and in the long run have been a source of valuable services. Although in some cases there has been a return to Islam (due to the class differences in Georgia), it has been mainly related to some of the elders and relatives of the Georgian rulers who were forced to stay in Iran for some reason and rarely changed their religion according to their interests.