Cultural functions of Sheikh al-Islami position in the Safavid period

The position of "Sheikh al-Islami" was one of the important religious positions of the Safavid era, which was established in the court, centers and provinces of Iran in order to spread the religious culture and teachings of the Twelve Imams and was able to leave deeply impact on various dimensions of the political-social system, especially the cultural structure of Iranian society.The basic question is, what is the status of "Sheikh al-Islami position" in this period and how did it influence the cultural-political developments of Safavid Iran? It seems that the cultural function of this position in this period left an important role in the cultural and political aspects of the Safavid era and was able to institutionalize the teachings of Ahl al-Bayt (AS) among the social classes. The most important function of Sheikh al-Islami, which was the strongest and most effective factor in strengthening the spirit of solidarity among Iranians and increasing the growing sentiments of the Shia religion, also this religion became an important factor in creating new works in the field of various sciences, as a result, the continuation of mourning in this period became official. The result of two political and cultural discourses is that on the one hand, the Sufi ruling body made the Safavid sect to respond flexibly to the needs and realities of the time, so as to move away from the beliefs and culture of the disciple and the religious order of the monastery. And on the other hand, it has motivated prominent and scattered Shia mujtahids and thinkers to collaborate and establish fundamental efforts in the direction of developing and deepening the culture and teachings of Shia religion. The result of this partnership was that a deep transformation took place in the court and government apparatus of Iran during the Safavid era, which included the official announcement of the Shia religion, the explanation and expansion of the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), the development and expansion of the Shia culture at different levels of society, among the achievements and functions of this office which with the direct support of the Safavid rulers and the efforts of scholars, many symbols and religious ceremonies have been officially and publicly implemented. The following article examines and analyzes the cultural functions of Sheikh al-Islami's position in Iran during the Safavid era with a descriptive-analytical historical approach and using library sources.