The Significance of Vahid Qazvini’s Official Correspondence in the Study of Safavid Foreign Relations During the Reigns of Shah Abbas II and Shah Sulayman

Davoodvandi, Amir Hossein

doi:10.22034/hfr.2026.555057.1559

The Significance of Vahid Qazvini’s Official Correspondence in the Study of Safavid Foreign Relations During the Reigns of Shah Abbas II and Shah Sulayman

Document Type : Scientific - research article

Author

Amir Hossein Davoodvandi

PhD student in History of Islamic Iran, Department of History, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

10.22034/hfr.2026.555057.1559

Abstract

Vahid Qazvini’s Official Correspondence (Munsha’at) is one of the preeminent texts of the Safavid era in the field of administrative and chancery records, possessing significant literary, historical, and political value. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative analysis based on library sources—specifically focusing on Manuscript No. 2260 of the Majlis Library—this research examines the role of this work in reconstructing Iranian foreign policy during the reigns of Shah Abbas II and Shah Sulayman.
The findings indicate that the diplomatic documents within this Official Correspondence include forty-eight outgoing Safavid letters, three victory proclamations (fath-namas), and one peace treaty. A major portion of this correspondence is dedicated to Safavid relations with eastern powers, particularly the Mughal Empire, the Khans of Turkestan, and the Deccan Sultanates. This reflects a strategic "pivot to the East" in Safavid diplomacy following the Treaty of Zuhab (1049 AH/1639 AD) and the subsequent stabilization of the western borders with the Ottoman Empire. These letters reveal Safavid intervention in the internal developments of India and efforts to establish relations with the Khans of Turkestan that transcended standard diplomatic ties. Furthermore, correspondence with the Caucasus and the Circassians signifies a Safavid balancing policy against the Ottomans and an attempt to secure alternative trade routes via the Black Sea. The dominance of the Persian language in these exchanges further underscores the continuity of a shared cultural sphere in regional relations

Keywords

Iran

Safavid Dynasty

Shah Abbas II

Shah Sulayman

Foreign Relations

Official Correspondence

Vahid Qazvini

Subjects