An Analysis of the Religious Approach of Safavid Historiography to the Wars of Safavid Sheikhs: A Sacred Narrative of Sacred Wars

By surpassing the stage of prostration and guidance, the Safavid tariqa at the time of Sheikh Junayd (died in 864 AH) and Sheikh Haydar (died in 893 AH) adopted a military strategy to achieve their political goals. They were able to attach power and influence in worldly affairs to the spiritual power of the leaders of the Safavid tariqa and create a cohesive military organization that aided Shah Ismail-I (930-907 AH) in establishing the Safavid dynasty. Relying on collecting information from historical sources, the present descriptive-analytical study seeks to answer that question that how the wars fought in Sheikh Junayd and Sheikh Haydar's era have been reflected in the historiography of the Safavid period. It seems that Safavid historiography has tried to give a sacred aspect to these wars using a sacred narrative. The findings show that defeats and victories in the wars of this period have assumed an epic burden, but this epic writing practice has a religious rather than a national atmosphere. In fact, Safavid historiography has presented a sacred narrative of sacred wars in which every event (whether victory or defeat) has been evaluated within a context of sanctity. Against this backdrop, in describing and narrating these wars, Safavid historians have used Qur’anic and Hadith-based expressions besides drawing similarities between the leaders of Safavid tariqa and the Imams (AS).