Dispatching Shah Ismail's Envoys to India: Reasons and purposes

Shah Ismail’s success in gathering many adherents and announcing the name of Shiite Imams in the Grand Mosque of Tabriz in 907 AH and declaring Iran as an Ithna Ashari Shiite administration is undoubtedly amongst the most important events of Iran’s history. Moreover, his enmity towards Sunnis but supporting Shiites of Iran and neighboring countries should also be considered at the same concept. This policy resulted in the opposition of Sunnis especially Uzbeks in the East and Ottomans in the West. Although Uzbeks were defeated, it was not easy to encounter with Ottomans. Capturing Uzbeks territory paved the way for the newly established Safavid government to make friendship with the governors of Indian subcontinent. Among them were the new administrations of Mughals namely Gujarat Sultanate and new Shiite dynasties of Adilshahi, Nizamshahi, GhotbShahi and Sunnis government of Beridshahi and Emadshahi which had risen after the fall of Bahmanid dynasty. Adopting a descriptive analytical approach based on primary sources, this article studies on the relationship of Shah Ismail with the governments of Indian subcontinent. The result speaks of the role of Shah Ismail’s policy against Sunni rivals in the region and the mutual interest of subcontinent governors to make solidarity with Iran in order to reinforce their status against their own local rivals.