An Analysis of the Relations of Ardalan Dynasty with the Central Government of Safavid within the Period 1019-1046 A.H

One of the local Kurdish governments that despite centuries of autonomy, in the early time of Shah Abbas I of the Safavid accepted to be related government to the central government was the government of Ardalan in Kurdistan. Due to the strategic position of Kurdistan Ardalan on the border of Iran and Turkey, the Ardalans, who prior to this, did not accept the submission of any of the governments of Iran and Ottomans, by accepting to be officially dependant to the Iranian government at the time of Shah Abbas I, marked a new chapter in its political history. Within the period 1019 to 1046 A.H, which includes a part of the reign of Shah Abbas I and the early reign of Shah Safi in Iran, Kurdistan Ardalan was under the rule of two of the most powerful local rulers, Heh Lukhan and his son Ahmad Khan Ardalan. In this research the political development of Kurdistan in the above mentioned period and relations of the local rulers with the central government have been studied. The findings show that the centralization policy of the Safavid on the one hand and the geographical location of the territory of Ardalan in the early reign of Shah Abbas I on the other hand played a key role in the integration of local government of Ardalan in the central government. Since that time, Ardalan rulers, in the position of governor, played an important role in the administrative system of the Safavids.