Latest / The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History
The Women Who Ruled the Safavid Harem
Behind the walls of the Safavid harem in Isfahan lay a hidden power structure that shaped the empire's politics, economics, and culture. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the roles of the Shah's mothers, wives, and daughters — women like Shah Abbas I's formidable grandmother, Mahd-e Olya, who effectively governed before her murder in 1562, and the influential court eunuchs who managed the harem's daily operations. They discuss how marriage alliances bound the Qizilbash tribal elite to the crown, how the harem owned vast estates and commercial ventures, and how European travelers like…
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