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The Shah's Envoys: How Abbas I Courted Europe
In 1599, Shah Abbas I of the Safavid Empire dispatched a grand embassy to the courts of Europe, hoping to forge an alliance against the Ottoman Empire. Led by his courtier Husayn Ali Beg and the English adventurer Anthony Sherley, the mission traveled through Russia, the Holy Roman Empire, and Spain, bearing lavish gifts of Persian carpets, illuminated manuscripts, and the offer of joint military action. This episode traces the embassy's arduous journey, its reception by Pope Clement VIII, Emperor Rudolf II, and King Philip III, and the cultural misunderstandings that shaped the encounter. It…
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