- 26 - 2003
- 4. Histoire, Période Musulmane
- 4.2. Histoire du XVe au XIXe siècle
- 4.2.1. Safavides et Qâjârs
225
Floor, Willem
« The Secular Judicial System in Safavid Persia ». St. Ir., 29/1 (2000), pp. 9-60.
The author offers a comprehensive overview of the judicial system as it operated in Safavid Iran. The first part discusses the long-standing tradition of direct appeal to the shah and how it evolved in the Safavid period. This is followed by an examination of the role and function of the divanbegi and other judicial officers. The last part of the article is devoted to various aspects of the judicial system such as court proceedings, the quality of justice, various types of punishment, and the nature of justice in the provinces. The author also pays attention to justice administered by the religious forces and secular justice, and rightfully argues that the former was really an extension of the latter. He concludes that, in spite of some major changes – such as the growing prominence of the divanbegi – the system showed remarkable continuity and stability and above all was designed to help maintain the status quo.

