The Safavid Printing Press That Never Was: Persia's Missed Revolution

The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History · Jun 6, 2026 · 8m

In 1618, Shah Abbas I of the Safavid Empire nearly introduced printing to Persia, a decision that could have reshaped the Islamic world's intellectual history. This episode explores the arrival of a printing press from Pope Paul V in Rome, the political calculations behind its abandonment, and the century-long delay that left Persia without a printing press until the early 1800s. We look at the role of the ulama, who feared the press would undermine their authority; the Safavid bureaucracy's resistance to change; and the contrast with the thriving Armenian printing press in New Julfa. How did…