Changing the Structure of the Public Sphere of the Clerics in the Safavid Era:Theoretical Turn

The establishment of the Safavid Empire in Persia in the early 16th century (1501 AD) resulted in two collaborating and rival public spheres: the clergy public sphere and Diwani public sphere. 
In this era, religious scholars, and clergymen, by founding the clergy public sphere, worked successfully in two areas: institutionalization and theoretical turn. The introduction of theories such as the oppressive ruler, deputy of Imam Mahdi, ijtihad, and imitation by religious authority led to the formation of the velayat-e-faqih theory in the next centuries.
The research method is based on Robert Merton's conceptualization approach and modern historical sociology. The findings showed that the theoretical evolution of scholars and mujtahids not only strengthened their institutionalization process but also led the clergymen to dominate the public sphere of Iranian society. They also revealed that the changes in Iran over the past two centuries do not represent a process of modernization, but the change of inactive and passive tradition to the reflexive tradition under the influence of the historical residues.