Latest / The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History
Shah Abbas I and the Gholam Revolution: Persia's New Elite
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how Shah Abbas I transformed the Safavid Empire by creating a new class of slave-soldiers, the gholam, to counterbalance the unruly Qizilbash tribal elite. Drawing on the accounts of Iskandar Beg Munshi and European travelers like Jean Chardin and the Sherley brothers, they trace the rise of the gholam from the Caucasus — Circassians, Georgians, and Armenians — who were converted to Twelver Shiism and trained in the use of gunpowder weapons. The discussion covers the pivotal role of Allahverdi Khan, the first great gholam general, who led campaigns…
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