Provincial Elite and Safavid Center: The Case of Khan Ahmad Gilani II

This paper examines the political career of Khan Ahmad Gilani II (d. 1626), the ruler of Gilan in the late sixteenth century. The province of Gilan was at times a semi- autonomous area of the Safavid Empire and had a long history of local rule. Gilan’s inaccessibility made it appear independent both prior to and following the rise of the Safavids. Khan Ahmad II was a member of the Kiyayi dynasty of Gilan. His grandfather had ruled Gilan, and had converted from Zaidism to Twelver Shi‘ism in order to appease Shah Isma‘il and remain in power. An ambitious ruler, Khan Ahmad II at times sought to remain autonomous. This paper will analyze the evolving relationship between Gilan’s notables, and especially Khan Ahmad II, on the one hand; and the Safavid sovereigns and qizilbash military elite on the other. It will do so within the context of existing approaches to center/periphery relations, throwing new light on the local dynamics of Shah ‘Abbas’ centralization policies and their implications for Gilan. The Safavid shahs were well aware of the challenges of removing local dynasties marked by propertied and influential local dignitaries, including Sayyids, with long historical roots. However, the silk-producing province of Gilan was too important for the Safavid ruling elite to ignore. Despite the difficulties of reaching Gilan by land, the Safavids used a variety of approaches to navigate the politics of the inclusion of local dynasties within the broader Safavid polity.