Latest / The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History
The Safavid Printing Press That Never Was
In 1616, Shah Abbas I of the Safavid Empire considered a revolutionary technology: the printing press. Pope Paul V had offered to send one to Isfahan, complete with movable type for Persian and Arabic. But the ulama — the religious scholars — blocked it. For nearly two centuries, the Safavids would resist printing, relying instead on handwritten manuscripts. This episode explores why: the sacredness of calligraphy, the power of the scribal guild, and the fear that printing would let the wrong people interpret scripture. We also look at what Persia lost — the first Persian newspaper wouldn't…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.