An Analysis of Iran-Ottoman Border Conflicts during the Time of Shah Safi (1052-1038 AH); A Case Study of the Fall of Baghdad

From the beginning of its formation, the Safavid government was involved in maintaining the western borders with the Ottoman government. With the death of Shah Abbas I, the Ottomans gained a good opportunity to attack the borders bordering Iran, with the most important goal being the conquest of Baghdad. In the early years of the Shah's rule, the Safavid regime managed to repel Ottoman attacks to some extent in order to maintain the structure of the Shah Abbas-era corps, but the IRGC sought to eliminate court rivalries that resulted in the removal of Shah Abbas-era officials. Iran weakened and lost the ability to maintain Baghdad. Also, the prolongation of military clashes with the Ottoman government has exhausted the military forces and the Safavid king, which has not been ineffective in not making serious efforts to preserve Baghdad. This research has been done with the aim of analyzing the border confrontations between Iran and the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Shah Safi and with an emphasis on the fall of Baghdad. The findings show that the dominance of personal interests over national interests among officials, the fierce court rivalries during the reign of Shah Safi, of which the Shah himself was to some extent responsible, and the recklessness of the Shah and his commanders in making the right decisions are among the most important causes of loss. They are part of the Western frontier, especially Baghdad, and the Shah's failure to maintain the borders of the time of King AbbasI.