Relationship between Jurisprudence and Politics in Isfahan School of Though

The Isfahan Jurisprudential School of Thought, which was first established by the religious scholars who had migrated from Jabal Amel and then continued its activities with the assistance of Iranian religious scholars of the Safavid era, has been one of the most successful and effective Shia jurisprudential schools of thought. There are two major trends in this school, i.e. Usouli and Akhbari. Each of these schools, while having some commonalities, have had their own specific approaches to politics. Undoubtedly, the maximal and open involvement of jurisprudence in the core of political power during the Safavid period provided a significant capital for the ensuing political systems in Iran, including the Islamic Republic. This is what adds to the significance of political jurisprudence during the Safavid era. The particular conditions of Shias during this period (their first time involvement in the political power after being on the margin for a long time in the history), the confrontation between Iran and the Ottoman Empire as well as Iran’s diplomacy towards Europe are the three fundamental political subjects the Isfahan School of Thought focused on and along with the internal developments of the Shia jurisprudence are discussed in this paper. The relationship between jurisprudence and politics (not necessarily political jurisprudence) during the Safavid era is studied in this research through second level epistemological approach.