Latest / The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History
Slaves of the Shah: How Safavid Eunuchs Ran an Empire
When Shah Abbas I built his new army of gholams, he needed commanders he could trust absolutely — men with no family, no tribe, no ambition beyond serving the crown. So he turned to a class of enslaved Africans and Indians, castrated and converted, who rose from the palace kitchens to command armies and govern provinces. This episode follows the rise of the Safavid court eunuchs — men like the legendary Saru Taqi, who served as grand vizier under Shah Safi, and the powerful khwajas who controlled the harem and the treasury. We explore how eunuchs became indispensable administrators in…
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