Pattern of Mobilization of Resources in the Wars Leading to the Establishment of the Safavid Government

In the process of establishing the Safavid government, a Sufi and spiritual tariqa, relying on the power of its followers, played a political and worldly role. The main question of this study is that on what basis and during what process Shah Ismail—as the perfect Sheikh of the Safavid tariqa—was able to mobilize his followers in several tribes to fight against other claimants of power, to overcome them, and to move toward establishing the government? Applying political theories of Ibn Khaldun about the development of governments, the present descriptive-analytical study thus seeks to answer this question. The findings show that Shah Ismail, using Sufi walayah, provided the means for the affinity of tribal and religious bonds within each tribe, and religious bonds between all tribes. He was accordingly able to create unity and solidarity among various tribes which were under his command, and to mobilize resources to fight against other claimants of power and finally, by using the aggregated power of these tribes which was the outcome of affinity of the ethnic and religious ties, he managed to defeat his enemies and succeed in establishing the long-lasting, powerful, and central government of Safavids.