A beylerbeylik in the
Safavid Empire was a large administrative entity within during the 15th-18th centuries. They were governed by
beylerbeys ("bey of beys" i.e., commander-in-chiefs)
[Claude Cahen ''The Formation of Turkey'', 2001. p285] The term was originally used in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
.
In the 17th century the Safavid state was divided into thirteen beylerbeydoms. Lands under the personal ownership of the
shah
Shah (; fa, شاه, , ) is a royal title that was historically used by the leading figures of Iranian monarchies.Yarshater, EhsaPersia or Iran, Persian or Farsi, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) It was also used by a variety of ...
or the reigning dynasty in the Safavid state were not part of beylerbeyliks.
Beylerbeys, usually titled
khans
Khan may refer to:
*Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan
*Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
, possessed administrative power and headed the local troops. In the beginning of the 17th century the Safavi shahs attempted to limit the beylerbeys' power, but failed to achieve this.
See also
*
Beylerbeylik
References
Government of Safavid Iran
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