Talk:Ismail I

Comparative language skills

Ismail's skills in Persian seemed to be rather rudimentary and limited, in contrast to his ability to write poetry in Turkish... "He could compose poems in Turkish but lacked Persian literary sophistication" per Soudavar (2002):

"Isma'il's early wanderings, from incarceration in Fars to the hiding period in Gilan before his "emergence" in 1500, did not allow him to receive a proper princely education. One can detect in his diplomatic correspondence, despite the Persian scribes' tendency to the contrary, a liking for simplified and shortened prose replete with luti (street brotherhood) slogans. He could compose poems in Turkish but lacked Persian literary sophistication. Selim, on the other hand, had a solid command of Persian that allowed him to be named among the Persian poets of his era. In order to overcome his own educational shortcomings, Isma`il decided to activate the royal library-atelier of Tabriz and provide his sons with the best possible education." Pataliputra (talk) 08:40, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

Court language until the end of the Safavid period:

"Knowledge of Turkish was particularly useful for European diplomats visiting the Safavid court where the Safavid shahs and courtiers conversed in that language. This fact was attested by numerous European travellers, diplomats, missionaries who had visited the Safavid state in different periods, such as García de Silva y Figueroa, Pietro Della Valle, Pacifique de Provins, Adam Olearius, Raphael du Mans, Jean Chardin, Niccolò Manucci, Jean de Thevenot, Angelo Legrenzi, John Fryer, Gemelli Careri, Engelbert Kaempfer, as well as Carmelite friars, including Filippo of Santissima Trinità and John Thaddeus. Turkish was not only a language of the court, but also of provincial administration and of the military, retaining its importance until the very end of the Safavid period. Above all, it was the mother tongue of the Qizilbash tribes, which constituted the backbone of the state. Instead Persian was the preferred language for formal correspondence, chancellery composition, and literary production in the Safavid Empire." Pataliputra! (talk) 12:34, 17 July 2026 (UTC)

References

Likely contemporary depiction and description of Shah Ismail

Likely contemporary depiction of Shah Ismail hunting, in Divan (Collected Works) of Ali-Shir Nava'i, 1526-27, Herat (BNF, Supp. Turq. 316).

Likely contemporary depiction of Shah Ismail hunting, in Divan (Collected Works) of Ali-Shir Nava'i, 1526-27, Herat (BNF, Supp. Turq. 316). Per Stchoukine:

"We believe we can recognize the image of Ismāʿīl in that of Bahrām Gūr hunting the onager, illustrating a manuscript of ʿAlī Shīr Navāʾī, dated 933/1526–27 (Bibliothèque Nationale, supplément turc 316, fol. 350). The fact that the text was completed three years after the sovereign’s death does not constitute an obstacle to our hypothesis, since the drawing that served as the model for the painting in question could have been executed earlier, during his lifetime. It was entirely fitting to portray Ismāʿīl—an avid hunter—in the role of the illustrious Sasanian hunter, his predecessor on the throne of Iran. Let us note that the image rendered by the artist corresponds perfectly to the description given by the Venetian traveler."

The Venetian traveler in question, "an anonymous Venetian merchant" who has now been identified as Domenico Romano, is in fact the only known Italian traveler (among those quoted in the Hakluyt collection) to have visited Iran in the time of Shah Isma'il Safavi, probably in 1506-10. He made a short description of Shah Ismail:

“Then all the lords sing in praise of their master Ismael, extolling his graciousness towards them. At present he is about thirty one, very handsome, of a magnanimous countenance, and about middle height; he is fair, stout, and with broad shoulders, his beard is shaved and he only wears a moustache, not appearing to be a very hairy man. He is as amiable as a girl, left-handed by nature, is as lively as a fawn, and stronger than any of his lords. In the archery trials at the apple, he is so expert, that of every ten knocked down he hits six; during the sports, music is played and dancing girls perform after their manner, singing the praises of Ismael. (...) This Sophy is loved and reverenced by his people as a god, and especially by his soldiers, many of whom enter into battle without armour, expecting their master Ismael to watch over them in the fight."

Original description of Shah Ismail in Italian, in "Viaggio d'un mercante" (1507-1510) by Domenico Romano. Navigationi et Viaggi (Volume II) by Ramusio (1559).

Regarding the facial appearance of Shah Ismail, in the English translation of Domenico Romano's account it is only said that "he is fair", in French it is translated as "de teint clair" ("of light complexion"). The original Italian by Domenico Romano himself is "nel viso mostra d'essere al quato biondo" which directly translates as: "In the face he appears to be of a somewhat fair complexion". Domenico Romano goes on explaining that Shah Ismail doesn't have much of a natural beard, and only has a moustache ("...solo i mostacchi,& mostra d'esser di natura d'ha uer poca barba"). So the authentic account by Domenico Romano ("the only Italian traveler in this collection who visited Iran in the time of Shah Isma'il Safavi, 1506-10") only suggests that he has a fair complexion, no natural beard, and only wears a mustache.

The account of Shah Ismail by Giovanni Maria Angiolello (who did not meet Shah Ismail, whose account was compiled by Ramusio, and who is currently quoted in this article), "does not belong to this traveler", as it appears to have been copied in all details from the account by the above Venitian traveler Domenico Romano, with the only novel addition of the mention of "reddish hair" (which appears in the 1873 English edition as: "His hair is reddish; he only wears moustachios", a loose translation of the original addition in Italian by Angiolello: "ha la barba di pelo rosso, ma porta solamete mostacchi", "he has a beard of red hair, but he only wears the mustache") leading authors such as Stchoukine to reject this account:

"We omit the description of Isma'il given by the compiler of Angiolello’s account. It does not belong to this traveler and appears to have been modeled on the account of the Venetian merchant whom we have just cited. The only new detail it adds is the reddish color of the shah’s hair."

References

Pataliputra (talk) 17:04, 14 May 2026 (UTC)

Contemporary Ottoman depictions of Shah Ismail

Contemporary Ottoman depictions of Shah Ismail at the Battle of Chaldiran (1514), in Selimnâme, circa 1525-30 (TSM, Н. 1597-98), and Selimnâme, by Şūkrī-i Bitlisī, 1524 (National Library of Israel, Ms. Yah. Ar. 1116).

Contemporary or near-contemporary Ottoman miniaturists too have several fine depictions of Shah Ismail, particularly at the Battle of Chaldiran (1514). These depictions appear in the histories of Selim I: Selimnâme, by Şūkrī-i Bitlisī, 1524 (National Library of Israel, Ms. Yah. Ar. 1116), and the Selimnâme, circa 1525-30 (TSM, Н. 1597-98). These are first-hand accounts by Shukri Bitlisi, who participated with Selim I to the campaigns against Iran. In these miniatures, Shah Ismail is shown facing the Ottoman army, being awestruck at the strength of the enemy ("putting a finger in his mouth" in bewilderment, per contemporary convention):

• "Fig. 2. Shah Isma'il observes the Ottoman army.(...) Meanwhile, an Anatolian soldier provides the Safavids with intelligence about the Ottomans. (...) When the Rumeli Beylerbeyi, Hasan Pasha, arrives, the Anatolian soldier tells Shah Isma'il such impressive things about this high-ranking official that Shah Isma'il puts his finger in his mouth to show his admiration, as well as his so-called regret at having engaged such a formidable and well-organized enemy. In the miniature, too, Shah Ismail is depicted putting his finger in his mouth, a typical convention referring to awestruck wonder and bewilderment." in Ertuğ, Zeynep Tarim (11 November 2010). "The Depiction of Ceremonies in Ottoman Miniatures: Historical Record or a Matter of Protocol?". Muqarnas. BRILL: 254. ISBN 978-90-04-18511-1.

Pataliputra! (talk) 08:03, 2 June 2026 (UTC)

More contemporary Safavid depictions of Shah Ismail

Contemporary Safavid depictions of Shah Ismail circa 1524-1530, in Futuhat-i Shahi (National Library of Russia, Dorn 301).

The Futuhat-i Shahi ("Royal Victories"), created circa 1524-30 (National Library of Russia, Dorn 301) is the earliest known illustrated dynastic history of the Safavids. This work was commissioned by Ismail himself around 1519-21 and entrusted to a close official named Sultan-Ibrahim “Amini” Haravi (882-941/1477-1535), who completed the work within a few years following the death of Shah Ismail. Sultan-Ibrahim “Amini” Haravi notably based his account of Ismail's early campaigns on the reports of old officers of Ismail. He later became a tutor to Ismail's son Bahram Mirza in 1531-32, and was even admitted to the Qizilbash council of war. Pataliputra! (talk) 09:57, 17 June 2026 (UTC)

References