A reflection on daggers, knives and pre-bill of the Safavid period and their place in the social, cultural and military organization of this period

Warfare has played an important role in human history from the past to the present. Motivation to defend oneself against enemies and invaders has been the most important factor in the development of war-related tools throughout history and because of their decisive role in battlefields and national destiny, they also had a special place in society. Therefore, many great men and commanders also used weapons to show their power in normal situations and outside the battlefield. Daggers, knives, and pre-bill were among the most commonly used blade weapons in the Safavid period, both among the military and among the aristocracy and ordinary people of Safavid Iran. The manifestation of this can be seen in the works obtained from this period, especially the paintings. The purpose of this study is to investigate the position of blade weapons such as daggers, knives and bills, with the exception of swords in the military and socio-cultural organization of this period. Therefore, the present study tries to answer the following questions by examining and studying related texts and sources such as drawings and evidence left in museums and collections inside or outside Iran: how have been the pattern of use and application of these weapons among different groups of the people in the Safavid period? And what designs and techniques have been used to decorate these weapons? This research is a descriptive-analytical method and a historical study and by collecting information in the field-library, has compared and analyzed the data. The findings of this study show that the importance of these three weapons is not equal among the military and the court and the use of decorative motifs in these weapons has been very diverse and different.