An Analysis of the Role of Bodaq Sultan Mokri (1111-1017 AH/ 1699-1608 AD) in the History of Mokri Emirate at the End of the Safavid Rule

Mokri emirate formation before the establishment of the Safavid state, in the northwest of Iran, is considered a turning point in the history of Mokrian area. Local rulers of the emirates, each in their own time, have made their most efforts for the development of this area. In the meantime, Bodaq Sultan known as the ‘Great King’ who has realized the events occurred from the middle of Shah Abbas I, the Safavid king, to the early of Shah Sultan Hussein reign, believes that Shah Suleiman Safavi’s time has an admirable status for the Mokri emirate. The present study investigates the changes took place in the Mokri emirate during Bodaq Sultan’s reign within the framework of a descriptive-analytic research and on the basis of library resources and documentation. The present paper attempts to answer the two following questions: What was Bodaq Sultan’s role in the historical developments of Mokri area? and what was the Bodaq Sultan’s interactions with the Safavid contemporary kings? The findings of the study suggest that Bodaq Sultan, on the one hand, with his wisdom and foresight, and on the other hand, because of the security and peace that existed in Iran during the Safavid Shah Suleiman reign, could take key measures in various areas. In this line, his measures have been of significance in three areas: To make development in architecture and city subdivisions of mixed used; pay attention to people’s economic welfare based on the expansion of agricultural products, to establish library, Dar al-‘Elm, and paying special attention to the religious discussions. Bodaq Sultan, in the course of making relation with his contemporary Safavid king, particularly Shah Suleiman, selected the policy of making himself close to the superior power in a way that could register his name in the Mokrian history from the perspectives of fundamental changes in architectural and building construction techniques and stabilization of the culture of endowment in this area .