The Safavid Period

Before the Pahlavi period Iran was ruled by Qajar Dynasty, and before Qajars it was under the reign of the Safavids. These two dynasties are responsible for two of the most important aspects of Iran. In Safavid Period, “Persia converts to Shia Islam under Shah Esmail I” (World and Its Peoples - Volume 1 - Page 487) and it was in the Qajar period that the Muslim clergy, i.e. the Uluma, gained the political power. “Lack of state administration and the inability of the Qajar Shahs to meet the economic, social, political and cultural needs of the population led the public popularity of the clergy and their active participation in socioeconomic and political issues”