Historical Sociology of Government; The Gap between the Elite and the Governmental Structure during Saffavi Dynasty

In this research the transformation process of the entity of the bond of the elite establishers and its influence on the “structure of the government” from the outset of the Saffavi dynasty to the end of Shah Abbas’s reign will be studied by a historical approach. The structure of Saffavi government, throughout Shah Ismail’s reign was a “religious” one. Within such a structure, Shah had not only materialistic power, but also religious power. The religious foundations were superior to the political foundation and military forces. Furthermore, the political institutions of the government such as “Vakile Nafse Homayoon” and “Khalifatol Kholafa” were deeply rooted in the Sufi monastery culture. Such foundations performed the function of a mediator between the king and people. During this period, the governors of the states had high authority and the existence of mediators put obstacles in the way of the establishment of dictatorship. After Shah Ismail’s death, the Sufis’ bonds were weakened and “tribal bonds” were forged. The establishment of the new bonds led to the construction of “bureaucratic kingdom”. Such structure found and ultimate form during the Shah Abbas the First. Within the new structure, the bureaucratic system was developed and many state lands were usurped by the king. A new army was established which was organized which was under the king’s direct rule. The religious foundations were separated from the political foundations and military forces. Under the undue influence of Shah Abbas’s policies, a central, authoritarian and bureaucratic government was formed.