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The Safavid Silk Route: How Shah Abbas Built a Persian Trade Empire
Shah Abbas I transformed Safavid Persia not just through military might and architectural splendor, but by engineering a vast state-run trade network. This episode dives into the silk monopoly, the caravanserais that still dot Iran's landscape, and the complex relationship with the Armenian merchants of New Julfa. We explore how Abbas manipulated the Silk Road—diverting trade from Ottoman territory, negotiating with the English East India Company, and even deporting populations to turn Isfahan into a commercial hub. Along the way, we meet the qizilbash tribal lords who resisted…
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