Şah İsmayıl - şeyxlikdən şahlığa

The founder of this state, known in history as both the Qizilbash state and the Safavid state, Shah Ismail, the head of the Safavid sect, joined the political struggle as a sheikh and became the head of state after achieving his goal. The Safavid order, to which Ismail I belonged, played a major role in the creation of this state, and their main force was the Turkic tribes called the Qizilbash. Gilzalbashism, which began to spread rapidly from the time of Sheikh Junayd, became the main trend during the time of Sheikh Ismail, which protected him from enemy forces and turned him in the eyes of the people into the leader of the opposing righteous forces. While still in Lahijan, the Sufis of Karajadag, Ahar and Talysh tried to be with Ismail. Ismail’s main task as a sheikh was to protect this mission entrusted to him. Under the conditions arising from the requirements of the time, Sheikh Ismail, in the role of Shah Ismail I, fulfilled his mission as a sheikh, dominating the territory of the large state he created. However, the ideology proclaimed this time was very different from the initial one. Thus, during the times of Sheikh Junayd and Sheikh Heydar, the Safawiye order partially lost its initial character and separated from its Sufi essence. For the sheikhs, who had already become property owners, it was almost impossible to remain Sufis. The Safavid sheikhs, who gradually developed towards Shiism, were in fact ready to act according to all the political rules necessary for state building, and this is confirmed by their policies starting from the 15th century. Having declared himself Shakh, Sheikh Ismail implemented this policy with great skill.