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Tyrants of the Tigris & euphrates
323
Safavids
Gold Heavy Ashrafi (3.87g), AH 938
Tahmasp I, Safavid Shah of Iran, AH 930-984/AD 1524-1576
AA2593. Very Fine.
Hamadan mint. Within eight-lobed cartouche, “Shah Tahmasp” and mint name, titles around, date be-
low; Reverse, Shi’ite Kalima, names of the 12 Imams in margin. Hamadan, also known as Ecbatana, is
located in northwestern Iran.
The Safavid Shah Tahmasp I (AH 907-930/ AD 1501-1524) came to power at the age of ten after his
father’s death, Tahmasp is the second longest reigning King of Persia after Shapur II of the Sasanid
Dynasty. Tahmasp was a clever politician who realized that war with Ottomans would not be possible
until the Persian forces were efficient in the use of rifles and canon. He entered into the Peace of Amasya
with the Ottomans. This treaty defined the borders between the two empires for nearly three centuries.
In this treaty, Persia maintained control over Azerbaijan, Dagestan and the eastern portions of Armenia.
The Ottomans gained the control of Baghdad, giving them maritime access to the Persian Gulf. Tahmasp
also entered into treaties with several European courts, agreeing to assist them when and if attacked by
the Ottomans. One of Shah Tahmasp’s more lasting achievements was the encouragement of the Persian
rug industry on a national scale, possibly as a response to the interruption of the Silk Road trade during
the Ottoman wars.
324
Ottoman Empire
Gold Sultani, AH 926
Suleyman I, Ottoman Sultan, AH 926-974/AD 1520-1566
A 1317. Nearly Mint State.
Misr (Cairo) mint.
Sultan Suleyman bin sultan Selim khan ‘azza nasruhu
, mint and date below; Reverse,
darib al-nadr wa sahib al-’izz al-nasr fi’l birr wa’l-bahr
“the striker of precious metal, and master of
glory, the victorious on land and sea”.
Suleyman I “the Magnificent” (AH 926-974/ AD 1520-1566), is the most famous of all Ottoman sultans.
During his reign, the Ottoman Empire reached its zenith. He conquered most of Hungary, Serbia, Croa-
tia, Bosnia, Albania, much of North Africa and Rhodes. Suleyman captured Baghdad from the Ottomans
which, along with the capture of Basra, gave Ottoman contol of Mesopotamia and direct access to the
Persia Gulf. He laid siege to Vienna, which created fear in every capital of Europe but had to withdraw
after two major defeats at the hands of the combined Austro-Hungarian forces. His navy dominated the
Mediterranean Sea, giving the Ottomans the ability to land troops in far-flung places and to expand their
maritime trade. He is known as “Law Giver” in Turkish, Arabic and Persian sources for his legal reforms.
He was contemporary with Tahmasp I of Persia with whom he waged war. Eventually Suleiman entered
in to peace agreement with Tahmasp I ending the hostilities.