TURKOMANS BETWEEN TWO EMPIRES: THE ... - Bilkent University

far. 469 During Shaykh Ibrahim’s time, the glory and the wealth of the Order seemingly
exceeded that during the times of his forefathers. We are told,
The throng of disciples circumambulating the Safavid sanctuary had become so
great that not all of them could be admitted into the presence of the Shaykh
Ibrahim. His authority increased daily, so that no one in the Province of Ardabil
could oppose his orders, which had to be obeyed. … His well-stocked kitchens
were full of dishes and vessels of gold and silver, and his munificence exceeded
even that of his forefathers. His manners and customs were positively regal. 470
It can be concluded from these limited records that Ardabil became increasingly
more frequented by the followers of the Safavids. But Ibrahim’s shaykhdom does not
include any considerable event in the flow of the history of the Order. As a modern
scholar describes, “His period of leadership of the order, which lasted for some two
decades, gives one the decided impression of having been the lull before the storm.” 471
Mazzaoui correctly describes the establishment period of the order, the period
from Shaykh Safī to Shaykh Ibrahim, as “The Sūfī Order” while describing the period
from Shaykh Junayd to Shah Ismail as “The Safavid Movement.” 472 During the
establishment period, the four heads of the order were renowned as pious men of
exemplary conduct and character, loved by their followers and respected by
contemporary temporal rulers. Even such a tempestuous sunni author as Fadlullah b.
Ruzbihan Khunjī has admitted the virtue of these men, using only good words to
describe Shaykh Safī: “a unique man of the world.” 473 Minorsky also paints a positive
picture: “…the Lords of Ardabil, they are highly respected shaykhs leading a
469 AA, p. 29. For similar conclusions see also Savory, p. 16.
470 Savory, p. 16. Mazzaoui, however, sees the time of Ibrahim as the least significant period, when the
activity of the Ardabil Order appears to have hit its lowest point in the history of the order. See Mazzaoui,
p. 56.
471 Michel M. Mazzaoui, “The Ghāzī Backgrounds of the Safavid State”, Iqbāl Review, XII/3, Karachi,
1971, p. 83.
472 See Mazzaoui, pp. 52-82.
473 TA, p. 62.
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