History UsefulNotes / IsmailI

-->---Ismail's poetry

* MixedAncestry: Iran being as insanely diverse as it is, nobody could hope to rule it without having at least two ethnic backgrounds mixed together. In his case, being part Persian and part Turkish really helped. It's not discussed much but he also had Greek ancestry (his grandmother being descended from the Byzantine holdout of Trebizond) and was part Kurdish (the Safavid dynasty would go on to deny that part later, due to their dependence on the support of the increasingly racist Qizilbash)

However, he soon found his match in the [[UsefulNotes/TheOttomanEmpire Ottomans Ottomans]] led by the sultan [[BloodKnight Selim the Grim]]. Being Sunni Muslims, the Turks were alarmed by the Shia advance and the influence that Ismail had over the ''Qizibalish'' throughout the region. Selim had such a virulent hatred against the Shia that, in a quick power play, he forced his father to abdicate and later arranged his death alongside his brothers, so that he could begin a war against the Safavids. He launched a brutal campaign of persecution against any Shia he could get his hands on, accusing them of being Safavid conspirators and killing over 40,000. Ismail and Selim declared war on each other and marched to battle in Chaldiran located in Northern Iran. Unfortunately for the young Shah, the Ottomans were not only numerically superior but also had plenty of firearms at their disposal, while his own men only had cavalry at theirs. The Safavids were completely crushed, and the Ottoman Turks sacked and pillaged the Persian capital, Tabriz. Selim captured all of the Shah's [[RoyalHarem wives and concubines]], with his [[TopWife favorite wife Tajlu Khanum]] being married off to one of the sultan's generals and Ismail never seeing her again. The loss of his beloved [[HeartbrokenBadass completely shattered Ismail's resolve]], and he retreated from all military and state affairs since his supernatural aura was destroyed. Ismail himself died shortly afterwards at the young age of 36. Nevertheless, the Safavid state was kept from collapsing by his son Tahmasp, who succeeded him as Shah and managed to reassert order, and later on by his grandson Abbas, who would further strengthen and finalize his dream.

However, he soon found his match in the [[UsefulNotes/TurksWithTroops Ottomans]] led by the sultan [[BloodKnight Selim the Grim]]. Being Sunni Muslims, the Turks were alarmed by the Shia advance and the influence that Ismail had over the ''Qizibalish'' throughout the region. Selim had such a virulent hatred against the Shia that, in a quick power play, he forced his father to abdicate and later arranged his death alongside his brothers, so that he could begin a war against the Safavids. He launched a brutal campaign of persecution against any Shia he could get his hands on, accusing them of being Safavid conspirators and killing over 40,000. Ismail and Selim declared war on each other and marched to battle in Chaldiran located in Northern Iran. Unfortunately for the young Shah, the Ottomans were not only numerically superior but also had plenty of firearms at their disposal, while his own men only had cavalry at theirs. The Safavids were completely crushed, and the Ottoman Turks sacked and pillaged the Persian capital, Tabriz. Selim captured all of the Shah's [[RoyalHarem wives and concubines]], with his [[TopWife favorite wife Tajlu Khanum]] being married off to one of the sultan's generals and Ismail never seeing her again. The loss of his beloved [[HeartbrokenBadass completely shattered Ismail's resolve]], and he retreated from all military and state affairs since his supernatural aura was destroyed. Ismail himself died shortly afterwards at the young age of 36. Nevertheless, the Safavid state was kept from collapsing by his son Tahmasp, who succeeded him as Shah and managed to reassert order, and later on by his grandson Abbas, who would further strengthen and finalize his dream.

However, he soon found his match in the [[UsefulNotes/TurksWithTroops Ottomans]] led by the sultan [[BloodKnight Selim the Grim]]. Being Sunni Muslims, the Turks were alarmed by the Shia advance and the influence that Ismail had over the ''Qizibalish'' throughout the region. Selim had such a virulent hatred against the Shia that, in a quick power play, he forced his father to abdicate and later arranged his death alongside his brothers, so that he could begin a war against the Safavids. He launched a brutal campaign of persecution against any Shia he could get his hands on, accusing them of being Safavid conspirators and killing over 40,000. Ismail and Selim declared war on each other and marched to battle in Chaldiran located in Northern Iran. Unfortunately for the young Shah, the Ottomans were not only numerically superior but also had plenty of firearms at their disposal, while his own men only had cavalry at theirs. The Safavids were completely crushed and the Ottoman Turks sacked and pillaged their enemy capital Tabriz next. Selim captured all of the Shah's [[RoyalHarem wives and concubines]] with his [[TopWife favorite wife Tajlu Khanum]] being married off to one of the sultan's generals and Ismail never seeing her again. The loss of his beloved [[HeartbrokenBadass completely shattered Ismail's resolve]] who retreated from all military and state affairs since his supernatural aura was destroyed. Ismail himself died shortly afterwards at a relatively young age of 36. Nevertheless, the Safavid state was kept from collapsing by his son Tahmasp who succeeded him as Shah who managed to reassert order and later on his grandson Abbas would further strengthen and finalize his dream.

His most important legacy was establishing Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion of his domain. He had personal reasons since he hated Sunnis for killing his father and older brother, but also had a practical side: he could create a distinct and unique identity for Iranians to stand out from their Sunni rivals and prevent a possible Sunni fifth column from within his subjects. This process would not be peaceful, and [[ChurchMilitant much of it was spread by the sword]]: Ismail enforced the compulsory cursing of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman (mirroring the Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali), imprisoned and executed Sunnis unwilling to convert to Shiism and destroyed and desecrated Sunni mosques and tombs - even European ambassadors were astonished how he could renovate Christian churches while at the same time destroying Sunni heritage.

Nevertheless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that was only completed by the 1700s and even after the Safavid dynasty ended, attempts by the succeeding Nader Shah to reverse Iran back to Sunnism failed and they continued being Shia. This was a turning moment in Islamic history: since the fall of the Fatimid Caliphate at the hands of Saladin Ayyubi during {{UsefulNotes/the Crusades}}, Shias were once again in control of a large empire instead of being a minority in Sunni-dominated states, Twelver doctrine became the most dominant form practiced in Shia Islam rather than Zaidiyyah sect (dominant in Yemen) and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. It also left several consequences such as Iraq and Azerbaijan being Shia-majority while they were part of Iran, and Afghanistan having a sizable Shia population with the Hazara people.

Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government]] since the Islamic Revolution) as the word "Safavid" itself is used as a slur directed to Shia Muslims (particularly used by Sunni fundamentalists and jihadists) - and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

However, he soon found his match in the [[UsefulNotes/TurksWithTroops Ottomans]] led by the sultan [[BloodKnight Selim the Grim]]. Being Sunni Muslims, the Turks were alarmed by the Shia advance and the influence that Ismail had over the ''Qizibalish'' throughout the region. Selim had a virulent hatred against the Shia so much so that in a quick power play, forced his father to abdicate and later arranged his death alongside his brothers, so that he could begin a war against the Safavids. He launched a brutal campaign of persecution against any Shia he could get his hands on, accusing them of being Safavid conspirators and killing over 40,000. Ismail and Selim declared war on each other and marched to battle in Chaldiran located in Northern Iran. Unfortunately for the young Shah, the Ottomans were not only numerically superior but also had plenty of firearms at their disposal, while his own men only had cavalry at theirs. The Safavids were completely crushed and the Ottoman Turks sacked and pillaged their enemy capital Tabriz next. Selim captured all of the Shah's [[RoyalHarem wives and concubines]] with his [[TopWife favorite wife Tajlu Khanum]] being married off to one of the sultan's generals and Ismail never seeing her again. The loss of his beloved [[HeartbrokenBadass completely shattered Ismail's resolve]] who retreated from all military and state affairs since his supernatural aura was destroyed. Ismail himself died shortly afterwards at a relatively young age of 36. Nevertheless, the Safavid state was kept from collapsing by his son Tahmasp who succeeded him as Shah who managed to reassert order and later on his grandson Abbas would further strengthen and finalize his dream.

Born in 1487, Abu'l-Moẓaffar Ismā'īl ibn Shaykh Ḥaydar ibn Shaykh Junayd was the Shah of Iran and [[FounderOfTheKingdom founder of the Safavid Empire]]. If UsefulNotes/CyrusTheGreat was considered the founder of ancient Persia, then Ismail is this for post-Middle Ages Persia and one of the most vital rulers in it's history. For most of the Middle Ages ever since the Muslim conquest of Persia by the Rashidun Caliphate in 654, Persia was governed by [[ForeignRulingClass a succession of different foreign rulers]] like the Umayyads, Abbasids, the Seljuks, the Mongols, the Timurids and at the time of Ismail's birth, by a confederation of Turkic tribes. Ismail's father Sheikh Haydar [[FamousAncestor claimed descent from Ali ibn Abu Talib]], the cousin and son-in-law of UsefulNotes/TheProphetMuhammad, and lead a [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Shia Islam]] movement known as the ''Qizilbash'' (Redheads) against its Turkic rulers. Haydar was killed when his son was just a year old, who went into hiding in Gilan where he was raised by scholars. He [[YoungConqueror began his military campaign at 14]], starting by taking [[YouKilledMyFather revenge against his father's killers, the rulers of Shirvan]]. He established the Safavid state in the following year, and by the next decade, he had conquered the entirety of Iran, Mesopotamia, Armenia, the Khorasan and Eastern Anatolia with the Georgians as his vassals. For the first time, Iran was unified under a native ruler with a devoted following, which can be attributed to Ismail being regarded as a Muslim saint, the reincarnation of Ali and the [[TheChosenOne Mahdi]] himself.

* MixedAncestry: Though he considered himself Persian, Ismail was technically [[UsefulNotes/{{Azerbaijan}} Azeri]] by birth and had Greek, Georgian, Kurdish, and Turkic ethnic heritage, and the claimed descent from Ali implied Arab ancestry, as well.

Nevertheless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that was only completed by the 1700s and even after the Safavid dynasty ended, attempts by the succeeding Nader Shah to reverse Iran back to Sunnism failed and they continued being Shia. This was a turning moment in Islamic history: since the fall of the Fatimid Caliphate at the hands of Saladin Ayyubi during {{UsefulNotes/the Crusades}}, Shias were once again in control of an large empire ever instead of being a minority in Sunni-dominated states, Twelver doctrine became the most dominant form practiced in Shia Islam rather than Zaidiyyah sect (dominant in Yemen) and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. It also left several consequences such as Iraq and Azerbaijan being Shia-majority while they were part of Iran, and Afghanistan having a sizable Shia population with the Hazara people.

Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government]] since the Islamic Revolution) as the word "Safavid" itself is used as an slur directed to Shia Muslims (particularly used by Sunni fundamentalists and jihadists) - and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

However, he soon found his match in the [[UsefulNotes/TurksWithTroops Ottomans]] led by the sultan [[BloodKnight Selim the Grim]]. Being Sunni Muslims, the Turks were alarmed the Shia advance and the influence that Ismail had other the ''Qizibalish'' throughout the region. Selim had a virulent hatred against the Shia so much so that in a quick power play, forced his father to abdicate and later arranged his death alongside his brothers, so that he could begin a war against the Safavids. He launched a brutal campaign of persecution against any Shia he could get his hands on, accusing them of being Safavid conspirators and killing over 40,000. Ismail and Selim declared war on each other and marched to battle in Chaldiran located in Northern Iran. Unfortunately for the young Shah, the Ottomans were not only numerically superior but also had fire weapons at their disposal, while his own men only had cavalry at their disposal. The Safavids were completely crushed and the Ottoman Turks sacked and pillaged their enemy capital Tabriz next. Selim captured all of the Shah's [[RoyalHarem wives and concubines]] with his [[TopWife favorite wife Tajlu Khanum]] being married off to one of the sultan's generals and Ismail never seeing her again. The loss of his beloved [[HeartbrokenBadass completely shattered Ismail's resolve]] who retreated from all military and state affairs since his supernatural aura was destroyed. Ismail himself died shortly afterwards at a relatively young age of 36. Nevertheless, the Safavid state was kept from collapsing by his son Tahmasp who succeeded him as Shah who managed to reassert order and later on his grandson Abbas would further strengthen and finalize his dream.

Born in 1487, Abu'l-Moẓaffar Ismā'īl ibn Shaykh Ḥaydar ibn Shaykh Junayd was the Shah of Iran and [[FounderOfTheKingdom founder of the Safavid Empire]]. If UsefulNotes/CyrusTheGreat was considered the founder of ancient Persia, then Ismail is this for post-Middle Ages Persia and one of the most vital rulers in it's history. For most of the Middle Ages ever since the Muslim conquest of Persia by the Rashidun Caliphate in 654, Persia was governed by [[ForeignRulingClass a succession of different foreign rulers]] like the Umayyads, Abbasids, the Seljuks, the Mongols, the Timurids and at the time of Ismail's birth, by a confederation of Turkic tribes. Ismail's father Sheikh Haydar [[FamousAncestor claimed descent from Ali ibn Abu Talib]], the cousin and son-in-law of UsefulNotes/TheProphetMuhammad, and lead a [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Shia Islam]] movement know as the ''Qizilbash'' (Redheads) against its Turkic rulers. Haydar was killed when his son was just a year old, who went into hiding in Gilan where he was raised by scholars. He [[YoungConqueror began his military campaign at 14]], starting by taking [[YouKilledMyFather revenge against his father's killers, the rulers of Shirvan]]. He established the Safavid state in the following year, and by the next decade, he had conquered the entirety of Iran, Mesopotamia, Armenia, the Khorasan and Eastern Anatolia with the Georgians as his vassals. For the first time, Iran was unified under a native ruler with a devoted following, which can be attributed to Ismail being regarded as a Muslim saint, the reincarnation of Ali and the [[TheChosenOne Mahdi]] himself.

* TheSouthpaw: According to one Italian ambassador, he used his left hand instead of the right one.

Nevertheless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that was only completed by the 1700s and even after the Safavid dynasty ended, attempts by the succeeding Nader Shah to reverse Iran back to Sunnism failed and they continued being Shia. This was a turning moment in Islamic history: since the fall of the Fatimid Caliphate at the hands of Saladin Ayyubi during {{UsefulNotes/the Crusades]], Shias were once again in control of an large empire ever instead of being a minority in Sunni-dominated states, Twelver doctrine became the most dominant form practiced in Shia Islam rather than Zaidiyyah sect (dominant in Yemen) and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. It also left several consequences such as Iraq and Azerbaijan being Shia-majority while they were part of Iran, and Afghanistan having a sizable Shia population with the Hazara people.

His most important legacy was establishing Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion of his domain. He had personal reasons for it since he hated Sunnis for killing his father and older brother, but it also had a practical side: he could create a distinct and unique identity for Iranians to stand out from their Sunni rivals and prevent a possible Sunni fifth column from within his subjects. This process would not be peaceful, and [[ChurchMilitant much of it was spread by the sword]]: Ismail enforced the compulsory cursing of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman (mirroring the Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali), imprisoned and executed Sunnis unwilling to convert to Shiism and destroyed and desecrated Sunni mosques and tombs - even European ambassadors were astonished how he could renovate Christian churches while at the same time destroying Sunni heritage.

Neverthless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that was only completed by the 1700s and even after the Safavid dynasty ended, attempts by the succeeding Nader Shah to reverse Iran back to Sunnism failed and they continued being Shia. This was a turning moment in Islamic history since now Shias were in control of an large empire instead of being a minority in Sunni-dominated countries, Twelver doctrine became the most dominant form practiced in Shia Islam rather than Zaidiyyah sect (dominant in Yemen) and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. It also left several consequences such as Iraq and Azerbaijan being Shia-majority while they were part of Iran, and Afghanistan having a sizable Shia population with the Hazara people.

Born in 1487, Abu'l-Moẓaffar Ismā'īl ibn Shaykh Ḥaydar ibn Shaykh Junayd was the Shah of Iran and [[FounderOfTheKingdom founder of the Safavid Empire]]. If UsefulNotes/CyrusTheGreat was considered the founder of ancient Persia, then Ismail is this for medieval Persia and one of the most vital rulers in it's history. Since the Muslim conquest of Persia by the Rashidun Caliphate in 654, Persia was governed by [[ForeignRulingClass a succession of different foreign rulers]] like the Umayyads, Abbasids, the Seljuks, the Mongols, the Timurids and at the time of Ismail's birth, by a confederation of Turkic tribes. Ismail's father Sheikh Haydar [[FamousAncestor claimed descent from Ali ibn Abu Talib]], the cousin and son-in-law of UsefulNotes/TheProphetMuhammad, and lead a [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Shia Islam]] movement know as the ''Qizilbash'' (Redheads) against its Turkic rulers. Haydar was killed when his son was just a year old, who went into hiding in Gilan where he was raised by scholars. He [[YoungConqueror began his military campaign at 14]], starting by taking [[YouKilledMyFather revenge against his father's killers, the rulers of Shirvan]]. He established the Safavid state in the following year, and by the next decade, he had conquered the entirety of Iran, Mesopotamia, Armenia, the Khorasan and Eastern Anatolia with the Georgians as his vassals. For the first time, Iran was unified under a native ruler with a devoted following, which can be attributed to Ismail being regarded as a Muslim saint, the reincarnation of Ali and the [[TheChosenOne Mahdi]] himself.

Neverthless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that was only completed by the 1700s and even after the Safavid dynasty ended, attempts by the succeeding Nader Shah to reverse Iran back to Sunnism failed and they continued being Shia. This wasn't contained to Iran either, since areas that were later lost to their control like Iraq have also a larger Shia population than Sunni. This was a turning moment in Islamic history since now Shias were in control of an large empire instead of being a minority in Sunni-dominated countries, Twelver doctrine became the most dominant form practiced in Shia Islam rather than Zaidiyyah sect (dominant in Yemen) and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government]] since the Islamic Revolution) as the word "Safavid" itself is used as an slur directed to Shia Muslims (particularly used by Sunni fundamentalists and jihadists) - and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

Born in 1487, Abu'l-Moẓaffar Ismā'īl ibn Shaykh Ḥaydar ibn Shaykh Junayd was the Shah of Iran and [[FounderOfTheKingdom founder of the Safavid Empire]]. If UsefulNotes/CyrusTheGreat was considered the founder of ancient Persia, then Ismail is this for medieval Persia and one of the most vital rulers in it's history. Since the Muslim conquest of Persia by the Rashidun Caliphate in 654, Persia was governed by [[ForeignRulingClass a succession of different foreign rulers]] like the Umayyads, Abbasids, the Seljuks, the Mongols, the Timurids and at the time of Ismail's birth, by a confederation of Turkic tribes. Ismail's father Sheikh Haydar [[FamousAncestor claimed descent from Ali ibn Abu Talib]], the cousin and son-in-law of UsefulNotes/TheProphetMuhammad, and lead a [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Shia Islam]] movement know as the Qizilbash (Redheads) against its Turkic rulers. Haydar was killed when his son was just a year old, who went into hiding in Gilan where he was raised by scholars. He [[YoungConqueror began his military campaign at 14]], starting by taking [[YouKilledMyFather revenge against his father's killers, the rulers of Shirvan]]. He established the Safavid state in the following year, and by the next decade, he had conquered the entirety of Iran, Mesopotamia, Armenia, the Khorasan and Eastern Anatolia with the Georgians as his vassals. For the first time, Iran was unified under a native ruler with a devoted following, which can be attributed to Ismail being regarded as a Muslim saint, the reincarnation of Ali and the [[TheChosenOne Mahdi]] himself.

However, he soon found his match in the UsefulNotes/TurksWithTroops led by the sultan [[BloodKnight Selim the Grim]]. Being Sunni Muslims, the Turks were alarmed the Shia advance and the influence that Ismail had other the Qizibalish throughout the region. Selim had a virulent hatred against the Shia so much so that in a quick power play, forced his father to abdicate and later arranged his death alongside his brothers, so that he could begin a war against the Safavids. He launched a brutal campaign of persecution against any Shia he could get his hands on for being Safavid conspirators, killing over 40,000. Ismail and Selim declared war on each other and marched to battle in Chaldiran located in Northern Iran. Unfortunately for the young Shah, the Ottomans were not only numerically superior but also had fire weapons at their disposal, while his own men only had cavalry at their disposal. The Safavids were completely crushed and the Ottoman Turks sacked and pillaged their enemy capital Tabriz next. Selim captured all of the Shah's [[RoyalHarem wives and concubines]] with his [[TopWife favorite wife Tajlu Khanum]] being married off to one of the sultan's generals and Ismail never seeing her again. The loss of his beloved [[HeartbrokenBadass completely shattered Ismail's resolve]] who retreated from all military and state affairs, since his supernatural aura was destroyed. Ismail himself died shortly afterwards at a relatively young age of 36. Nevertheless, the Safavid state was prevented from collapsing by his successor as Ismail's son Tahmasp managed to reassert order shortly after succeeding him as Shah and, and later on his grandson Abbas would further strengthen and finalize his dream.

His most important legacy was establishing Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion of his domain. He had personal reasons for it since he hated Sunnis for killing his father and older brother, but it also had a practical side: he could create a distinct and unique identity for Iranians to stand out from their Sunni rivals and prevent a possible Sunni fifth column from within his subjects. This process would not be peaceful, and [[ChurchMilitant much of it was spread by the sword]]: he enforced the compulsory cursing of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman which mirrors the Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali, imprisoned and executed Sunnis unwilling to convert to Shiism and destroyed and desecrated Sunni mosques and tombs - even European ambassadors were astonished how he could renovate Christian churches while destroying Sunni heritage.

Neverthless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that was only completed by the 1700s and even after the Safavid dynasty ended, attempts by the succeeding Nader Shah to reverse Iran back to Sunnism failed and they continued being Shia. This wasn't contained to Iran either, since areas that were later lost to their control like Iraq have also a larger Shia population than Sunni. This was a turning moment in Islamic history since now Shias were in control of an large empire instead of being a minority in Sunni-dominated countries, Twelver doctrine became the most dominant form practiced in Shia Islam rather than Zaidiyyah sect and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government]] since the Islamic Revolution) as the word "Safavid" itself is used as an slur directed to Shia Muslims (particularly used by Sunni fundamentalists and jihadists) - and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

* MixedAncestry: Though he considered himself Persian, Ismail was technically [[UsefulNotes/{{Azerbaijan}} Azeri]] by birth and had Greek, Georgian, Kurdish and Turkic ethnic heritage.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shah_esmaeil01.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Statue of Ismail I in Ardabil, Iran]]

Born in 1487, Abu'l-Moẓaffar Ismā'īl ibn Shaykh Ḥaydar ibn Shaykh Junayd was the Shah of Iran and [[FounderOfTheKingdom founder of the Safavid Empire]]. If UsefulNotes/CyrusTheGreat was considered the founder of ancient Persia, then Ismail is this for medieval Persia and one of the most vital rulers in it's history. Since the Muslim conquest of Persia by the Rashidun Caliphate in 654, Persia was governed by [[ForeignRulingClass a succession of different foreign rulers]] like the Umayyads, Abbasids, the Seljuks, the Mongols, the Timurids and at the time of Ismail's birth, by a confederation of Turkic tribes. Ismail's father Sheikh Haydar claimed descent from [[UsefulNotes/{{Islam}} Ali ibn Abu Talib]], the cousin and son-in-law of UsefulNotes/TheProphetMuhammad, and lead a Shia Islam movement know as the Qizilbash (Redheads) against its Turkic rulers. Haydar was killed when his son was just a year old who went into hiding in Gilan, where he was raised by scholars. He [[YoungConqueror began his military campaign at 14]], starting by taking revenge against his father's killers, the rulers of Shirvan. He established the Safavid state in the following year, and by the next decade, he had conquered the entirety of Iran, Mesopotamia, Armenia, the Khorasan and Eastern Anatolia with the Georgians as his vassals. For the first time, Iran was unified under a native ruler with a devoted following, which can be attributed to Ismail being regarded as a Muslim saint, the reincarnation of Ali and the [[TheChosenOne Mahdi]] himself.

Neverthless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that was only completed by the 1700s and even after the Safavid dynasty ended, attempts by the succeeding Nader Shah to reverse Iran back to Sunnism failed and they continued being Shia. This wasn't contained to Iran either, since areas that were later lost to their control like Iraq have also a larger Shia population than Sunni. This was a turning moment in Islamic history since now Shias were in control of an large empire instead of being a minority in Sunni-dominated countries, Twelver doctrine became the most dominant form practiced in Shia Islam rather than Zaidiyyah sect and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persian. Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government]] since the Islamic Revolution) and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

* MixedAncestry: Though he considered himself Persian, Ismail was technically Azeri by birth and had Greek, Georgian, Kurdish and Turkic ethnic heritage.

His most important legacy was establishing Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion of his domain. He had personal reasons for it since he hated Sunnis for killing his father and older brother, but it also had a practical side: he could create a distinct and unique identity for Iranians to stand out from their Sunni rivals and prevent a possible Sunni fifth column from within his subjects. This process would not be peaceful, and [[ChurchMilitant much of it was spread by the sword]]: he enforced the compulsory cursing of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman which mirrors the Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali, imprisoned and executed Sunnis unwilling to convert to Shiism and destroyed and desecrated Sunni mosques and tombs - even European ambassadors were astonished how he could renovate Christian churches while destroying Sunni heritage. Neverthless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that didn't also stop after Ismail's own death since his successors would continue them and it was only completed by the 1700s. It was an turning moment in Islamic history since now Shias were in control of an large empire instead of being a minority and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government constitution]] since the Islamic Revolution) and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

* MixedAncestry: Though he considered himself Persian, Ismail had Greek, Georgian, Kurdish and Turkic ethnic heritage.

* ShockingDefeatLegacy: While his dynasty would continue on for 200 and his legacy persist long either it's death, Ismail was personally crushed by the defeat at Chaldiran and European scholars at the time state that the Safavid Persians would have turned into lords of the East instead of the Ottoman Turks.

However, he soon found his match in the UsefulNotes/TurksWithTroops led by the sultan [[BloodKnight Selim the Grim]]. Being Sunni Muslims, the Turks were alarmed the Shia advance and the influence that Ismail had other the Qizibalish throughout the region. Selim had a virulent hatred against the Shia so much so that in a quick power play, forced his father to abdicate and later arranged his death alongside his brothers, so that he could begin a war against the Safavids. He launched a brutal campaign of persecution against any Shia he could get his hands on for being Safavid conspirators, killing over 40,000. Ismail and Selim declared war on each other and marched to battle in Chaldiran located in Northern Iran. Unfortunately for the young Shah, the Ottomans were not only numerically superior but also had fire weapons at their disposal, while his own men only had cavalry at their disposal. The Safavids were completely crushed and the Ottoman Turks sacked and pillaged their enemies capital at Tabriz next. Selim captured all of shah's [[RoyalHarem wives and concubines]] with his [[TopWife favorite wife Tajlu Khanum]] being married off to one of the sultan's generals and Ismail never seeing her again. The loss of his beloved [[HeartbrokenBadass completely shattered Ismail's resolve]] who retreated from all military and state affairs, since his supernatural aura was destroyed. Ismail himself died shortly afterwards at a relatively young age of 36.

His most important legacy was establishing Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion of his domain. He had personal reasons for it since he hated Sunnis for killing his father and older brother, but it also had a practical side: he could create a distinct and unique identity for Iranians to stand out from their Sunni rivals and prevent a possible Sunni fifth column from within his subjects. This process would not be peaceful, and [[ChurchMilitant much of it was spread by the sword]]: he enforced the compulsory cursing of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman which mirrors the Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali, imprisoned and executed Sunnis unwilling to convert to Shiism and destroyed and desecrated Sunni mosques and tombs - even European ambassadors were astonished how he could renovate Christian churches while destroying the houses of all Sunnis. Neverthless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that didn't also stop after Ismail's own death since his successors would continue them and it was only completed by the 1700s. It was an turning moment in Islamic history since now Shias were in control of an large empire instead of being a minority and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government constitution]] since the Islamic Revolution) and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

* ShockingLegacyDefeat: While his dynasty would continue on for 200 and his legacy persist long either it's death, Ismail was personally crushed by the defeat at Chaldiran and European scholars at the time state that the Safavid Persians would have turned into lords of the East instead of the Ottoman Turks.

->''My name is Shāh Ismā'īl. I am God's mystery. I am the leader of all these ghazis''.\\

-->==Ismail's poetry

However, he soon found his match in the UsefulNotes/TurksWithTroops led by the sultan [[BloodKnight Selim the Grim]]. Being Sunni Muslims, the Turks were alarmed the Shia advance and the influence that Ismail had other the Qizibalish throughout the region. Selim had a virulent hatred against the Shia so much so that in a quick power play, forced his father to abdicate and later arranged his death alongside his brothers, so that he could begin a war against the Safavids. He launched a brutal campaign of persecution against any Shia he could get his hands on for being Safavid conspirators, killing over 40,000. Ismail and Selim declared war on each other and marched to battle in Chaldiran located in Northern Iran. Unfortunately for the young Shah, the Ottomans were not only numerically superior but also had fire weapons at their disposal, while his own men only had cavalry at their disposal. The Safavids were completely crushed and the Ottoman Turks sacked and pillaged their enemies capital at Tabriz next. Selim captured all of Ismail's [[RoyalHarem wives and concubines]] with his [[TopWife favorite wife Tajlu Khanum]] being married off to one of the sultan's generals and Ismail never seeing her again. The loss of his beloved [[HeartbrokenBadass completely shattered Ismail's resolve]] who retreated from all military and state affairs, since his supernatural aura was destroyed. Ismail himself died shortly afterwards at a relatively young age of 36.

His most important legacy was establishing Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion of his domain. He had personal reasons for it since he hated Sunnis for killing his father and older brother, but it also had a practical side: he could create a distinct and unique identity for his Iranians to stand out from their Sunni rivals and prevent a possible Sunni fifth column from within his subjects. This process would not be peaceful, and [[ChurchMilitant much of it was spread by the sword]]: he enforced the compulsory cursing of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman which mirrors the Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali, imprisoned and executed Sunnis unwilling to convert to Shiism and destroyed and desecrated Sunni mosques and tombs - even European missionaries were astonished how he could renovate Christian churches while destroying the houses of all Sunnis. Neverthless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that didn't stop after Ismail's own death since his successors would continue them and it was only completed by the 1700s. It was an turning moment in Islamic history since now Shias were in control of an large empire instead of being a minority and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government constitution]] since the Islamic Revolution) and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

His most important legacy was establishing Twelver Shia Islam as the state religion of his domain. He had personal reasons for it since he hated Sunnis for killing his father and older brother, but it also had a practical side: he could create a distinct and unique identity for his Iranians to stand out from their Sunni rivals and prevent a possible Sunni fifth column from within his subjects. This process would not be peaceful, and much of it was spread by the sword: enforced the compulsory cursing of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthman which mirrors the Umayyad tradition of cursing Ali, he imprisoned and executed Sunnis unwilling to convert to Shiism, destroyed and desecrated Sunni mosques and tombs - even European missionaries were astonished how he could renovate Christian churches while destroying the houses of all Sunnis. Neverthless, Iran didn't embrace Shiism immediately, it was a gradual process that didn't stop after Ismail's own death since his successors would continue them and it was only completed by the 1700s. It was an turning moment in Islamic history since now Shias were in control of an large empire instead of being a minority and the establishment of the Safavid state greatly hindered Ottoman advance into Europe, as they spent too much time warring with the Persians. Today, Shia Islam is considered inseparable part of Iran (though this can be attributed to its [[TheTheocracy current government constitution]] since the Islamic Revolution) and it all can be traced back to Ismail I's policies.

* ChurchMilitant: Twelver Shia Islam version; he was the military head (and eventual Emperor) of his religious order, and mostly spreaded Shiism by swordpoint.