Latest / The Safavid Empire: Persia's Return to Greatness — Fexingo History
Shah Abbas's Secret Weapon: The Gholam Revolution
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the transformation of the Safavid military under Shah Abbas I, focusing on the introduction of the gholam system. They discuss how Abbas, after the disastrous Battle of Chaldiran, recognized the unreliability of the Qizilbash tribal forces and began recruiting slave soldiers from the Caucasus—predominantly Christian Armenians, Georgians, and Circassians. Lucas explains how these gholams were trained in modern firearm and artillery tactics, forming the core of a new standing army loyal directly to the shah. He describes the role of key figures like…
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