Characteristics of Shia Educational Centers in the Era of Timurids and Safavids: A Historical Comparative View

Establishment of the Islamic Republic in Iran strengthened Shia studies in various scientific fields. One of the affected areas was the history of education. The purpose of research was to study the characteristics of Shia educational centers in the Timurid & Safavid periods. The research method was comparative with a historical approach and data collection and analysis methods were documentary and hidden content analysis respectively. To search for data, keywords were used in Iranian and international information databases. The most important finding indicates that there are differences in ten characteristics between the schools of these two historical periods. In every historical period, the most important source of financial and material needs of schools has been the endowment tradition. Another finding of the research shows that the Shiite schools in the Timurid period were less ideological-oriented than the schools of the Safavid period. Also, the variety of curricula and open academic space in Shiite schools of the Timurid period is more, but the methods of teaching and evaluation are similar in both periods. According to the findings, it is suggested to the policy makers and educational planners of Iran, first, to solve the economic bottlenecks of the educational system through a deeper look at the legacy of the Timurids and Safavid in providing teachers' salaries and equipping schools through the tradition of endowment. Secondly, considering the legacy of the Timurids, they should try to reduce the ideological role of the educational system.