Shah Abbas: The Ruthless King Who Became an Iranian Legend

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Bloomsbury Publishing, 2014 M04 2 - 288 pages
Shah Abbas (1571-1629) was shah of Iran from 1588 (when he assumed power by deposing his father, whom he later murdered) until his death in 1629. He is of critical importance in the history of Iran, restoring the power of the Safavids through war and the strategic negotiation of peace. He is still acclaimed for his strong and decisive rule and the architectural achievements of his reign although he is also recognised as a tyrant, whose paranoia (probably justified) caused him to imprison and assassinate many of his own relatives including his own son, ultimately leaving the throne to his grandson.Remarkably, this is the first biography of Shah Abbas in English. "On a Persian Throne" combines rigorous scholarship with a popular style to produce the definitive, accessible and objective biography of this seminal figure in Iranian history.
 

Contents

List of Illustrations
Preface
Introduction
The Birth of a Shii State
A Turbulent Childhood and the Seizure of Power
Abbas Takes Control
The Recovery of Khurasan from the Uzbeks
English Adventurers at the Service of Shah Abbas
A Conflict of Envoys
The English Embassy and the Death of Abbas
Abbas the Man and the King
The Court of Shah Abbas
The Throne and Mosque Alliance
The City that was Half the World
The Merchant King
Shah Abbas and the Arts

Khurasan the Persian Gulf and a Challenge to the Ottomans
Abbas Expels the Ottomans
The Search for European Allies
Pressure on the Gulf Mass Deportations and the Murder of a
the Capture of Hormuz
the Capture of Qandahar and Baghdad
The Later Safavids
Conclusion
Notes
Select Bibliography
Copyright

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About the author (2014)

David Blow studied History at Cambridge and Persian at SOAS, was Assistant Director of the British Institute of Persian Studies in Tehran 1968-9 and worked for the BBC Persian Service 1969-71, broadcasting in Persian. He went on to work in publishing and for the BBC World Service, where he was correspondent in Berlin and Vienna. He is the Editor of 'Persia: Through Writer's Eyes', a collection of mainly European writings about Iran.

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