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

were extremely influential on the military and political affairs of the state, and vitally
affected the balance of power at Ismail’s court.
First of all, in terms of ideology, the absence of these great qizilbash warlords
facilitated the establishment of the “orthodox” version of Twelver Shi’a in the Safavid
realm. As already determined by several scholars, the shi’ism implemented by Ismail
and by early qizilbashes was not much acceptable by the religious scholars of Twelver
Shi’ism. The shi’ism of early qizilbashes who founded the state was composed of simple
elements. As Aubin points out, “D’une part, culte des imams, attende messianique du
Mahdi, adoration du souverain ; d’autre part, vindicte à l’égard du sunnisme,
malédiction publique des trois premiers califes, profanation de ce que les sunnites
célèbres, l’utilisation sacrilège de mosquées sunnites obstinés, ou, plus d’une fois, ceux
que des vengeances personnelles feront passer pour tels.” 1969
Soon after the establishment of the new state, however, the need for a well-
established religious sect with a well-defined judicial basis emerged. At the beginning,
on religious affairs Ismail conferred to Persian ulemā who were indeed not much
acquainted with the well-developed theology and jurisdiction of Twelver Shi’ism. At the
time of Shah Tahmasb, however, this role was fulfilled by Arab doctors of religion
immigrated from Jabal al-‘Āmil and Bahrayn. 1970 Under the direction of the newly
imported scholars, ‘orthodox’ Twelver Shi’ism was soon established while the extremist
beliefs of the founders were marginalized. Despite the contest posed by the qizilbash
tribes, “the dogmas of the Imami theologians along with a growing abstraction and
1969 Jean Aubin, “La politique religieuse des Safavides”, Le Shî’isme Imâmite, Colloque de Strasbourg, 6-
9 mai 1968, Paris : Presses Universitaires de France, 1970, p. 238.
1970 Jean Aubin, “La politique religieuse des Safavides”, p. 239.
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