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The Dog Who Saved a Shah: Safavid Loyalty and the Legend of Zangi
In 1528, Shah Tahmasp I of the Safavid Empire faced not only Ottoman and Uzbek enemies but also a threat from within: a sleeping potion meant to kill him. What saved him was not a general or a bodyguard, but his loyal dog, Zangi. This episode explores the remarkable bond between the young Shah and his canine companion, drawing on accounts from the Tarikh-e Alamara-ye Abbasi and European traveler Jean Chardin. We discuss the role of dogs in Safavid Persia—from hunting companions to symbols of loyalty in Sufi poetry—and how Zangi's vigilance became a metaphor for the Shah's own watchfulness…
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