A Glance at the Idea of Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili's Hashimi Ancestry

Whether or not Sheikh Safi-al-Din Ardabili, Safavid king's great grandfather, is a descendent of the holy Prophet is of great importance for having a clear idea about the Safavid government. Is Sheikh Safi al-Din among the descendants of the holy Prophet? Is his children and grandchildren’ claim that they are descendants of the holy Prophet true, especially when we consider such factors like it was the time when Ismail the 1st. became a king of Iran, a war raged between Iran and two Sunni powers (Ottoman empire in the west and Uzbek State in the east) and the repeated questioning of the idea of Safavid's Hashimi ancestry by the heads of these powers? Or, is it a political tactic to gain the support of Iranian Shiite against the attacks of these two Sunni States? Based on a scientific-historical research and historiographical records and findings, the present paper tries to address the above question.