- 26 - 2003
- 4. Histoire, Période Musulmane
- 4.2. Histoire du XVe au XIXe siècle
- 4.2.1. Safavides et Qâjârs
231
Maeda, Hirotake
« On the Ethno-Social Background of four Gholam Families from Georgia ». Studia Iranica 32, (2003), pp. 243-78.
A superb piece of research, this article tackles several interconnected questions: the character of the Safavid ġolām system and its fundamental difference to the military slave systems of the Mamluks, the family ties among prominent ġolām individuals, and especially their continuing ties to their country of origin, Georgia. Following the biographies of four families from the nobility of Kartli (Georgian kingdom), it offers fascinating insights into the characteristics of late Safavid society and the reasons for its stability, and thus is another step forward in the revision of the simplistic decline paradigm in the later Safavid era. The article convinces through careful argumentation and very humble conclusions. One could go much further and raise the question whether at all it is correct to regard ġolāms as slaves or slave soldiers? This article is an absolute must to read and opens up new perspectives in the field of Safavid studies.

