Sam Mirza (; 1517 – 1566/67) was a
Safavid
The Guarded Domains of Iran, commonly called Safavid Iran, Safavid Persia or the Safavid Empire, was one of the largest and longest-lasting Iranian empires. It was ruled from 1501 to 1736 by the Safavid dynasty. It is often considered the begi ...
prince and poet in 16th-century
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
, who wrote the ''Tohfa-ye Sami'' ("Gift of Sam"), a collection of biographies of contemporary Persian poets. He was the third son of
Shah Ismail I
Ismail I (; 17 July 1487 – 23 May 1524) was the founder and first shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1501 until his death in 1524. His reign is one of the most vital in the history of Iran, and the Safavid period is often considered the beginn ...
(), the founder of the Safavid dynasty.
Sam Mirza was appointed governor of
Herat
Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...
(in present-day
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
) during his early years, following the tradition of educating Safavid princes by assigning them governorships under the supervision of experienced
amir
Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...
of the
Qizilbash
Qizilbash or Kizilbash (Latin script: ) ; ; (modern Iranian reading: ); were a diverse array of mainly Turkoman "The Qizilbash, composed mainly of Turkman tribesmen, were the military force introduced by the conquering Safavis to the Irani ...
. During his time in Herat, he witnessed the remnants of the zenith of Persian culture from the reign of the
Timurid ruler
Sultan Husayn Bayqara
Sultan Husayn Bayqara Mirza ( ''Husayn Bāyqarā''; June/July 1438 – 4 May 1506) was the Timurid dynasty, Timurid ruler of Herat from 1469 until May 4, 1506, with a brief interruption in 1470.
A skilled statesman, Sultan Husayn Bayqara was ...
(), but also became entangled in the political struggles of his Qizilbash guardians.
After an unsuccessful military campaign against the
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
city of
Kandahar
Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...
in 1534, which resulted in significant losses and the fall of Herat to the
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks () are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, being among the largest Turkic ethnic groups in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakhs, Kazakh and Karakalpaks, Karakalpak ...
from the
Khanate of Bukhara
The Khanate of Bukhara was an Uzbek state in Central Asia from 1501 to 1785, founded by the Abu'l-Khayrid dynasty, a branch of the Shaybanids. From 1533 to 1540, Bukhara briefly became its capital during the reign of Ubaidullah Khan. The Khana ...
, Sam Mirza's political career was effectively ended, despite his attempts to apologize to his suzerain and brother
Shah Tahmasp I (). Although he was sidelined from political affairs, he remained a respected figure at court, and it was during this time that he wrote the ''Tohfa-ye Sami''. The work reflects his deep engagement with Persian literature and his desire to highlight the role of poetry across various social classes and locations. He also composed a ''
divan
A divan or diwan (, ''dīvān''; from Sumerian ''dub'', clay tablet) was a high government ministry in various Islamic states, or its chief official (see ''dewan'').
Etymology
The word, recorded in English since 1586, meaning "Oriental cou ...
'' (collection of poems), of which only a few verses have survived.
In 1561/62, he was imprisoned in
Qahqaheh Castle for an alleged political conspiracy and died there during an earthquake in 1566/67. He was survived by his daughter, who was married to
Isa Khan Gorji.
Background
Sam Mirza was born in 1517. He was the third son of
Shah Ismail I
Ismail I (; 17 July 1487 – 23 May 1524) was the founder and first shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1501 until his death in 1524. His reign is one of the most vital in the history of Iran, and the Safavid period is often considered the beginn ...
(), the founder of the
Safavid dynasty
The Safavid dynasty (; , ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from Safavid Iran, 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of History of Iran, modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder em ...
of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
. His mother was a
Georgian woman, who was likely also the mother of his brother
Alqas Mirza
Abu'l Ghazi Sultan Alqas Mirza (), better known as Alqas Mirza (; 15 March 1516 – 9 April 1550), was a Safavid prince and the second surviving son of king (shah) Ismail I (r. 1501–1524). In early 1546, with Ottoman help, he staged a revolt a ...
. The two other brothers
Shah Tahmasp I () and
Bahram Mirza Safavi
Bahram Mirza Safavi (; 15 September 1517 – 11 October 1549) was a Safavid prince, governor and military commander in 16th-century Iran. He was the youngest son of Shah Ismail I (), the founder of the Safavid dynasty.
Throughout his career, he ...
had another mother. Due to Ismail I's fondness of Iranian national legends, Sam Mirza was named after the mythical
Sam, who appears in the Persian epic ''
Shahnameh
The ''Shahnameh'' (, ), also transliterated ''Shahnama'', is a long epic poem written by the Persian literature, Persian poet Ferdowsi between and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50,000 distichs or couple ...
'' and is a key figure at the court of
Manuchehr
Manūchehr mænuː'tʃer">Help:IPA/English">mænuː'tʃer (, older Persian Manōčihr, Avestan 𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬱𐬗𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀 Manuščiθra), is the eighth Shah of the Pishdadian dynasty of Persia according to ''Shahnameh''. He is ...
as well as an ancestor of
Rostam
use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) -->
, death_place = Kabulistan
, death_cause = With the conspiracy of his half-brother Shaghad, he fell into a we ...
. Sam Mirza's tutor was Mohammad Mo'men, the son of the prominent scholar and poet Abdollah Morvarid.
Career
The tradition of educating the princes of the reigning dynasty for handling government functions from an early age was continued by Ismail I and his eldest son and successor Tahmasp I. They did this by giving them the governorship of a province under the supervision of a guardian (''
lala
''LaLa'' is a monthly Japanese manga magazine published by Hakusensha on the 24th of each month. The magazine's bonus contents are usually calendars for New Year issues, drama CDs, and so on. In a 2006 survey conducted by Oricon, Japanese girls ...
''), which was an experienced
amir
Emir (; ' (), also transliterated as amir, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or ceremonial authority. The title has ...
of the
Qizilbash
Qizilbash or Kizilbash (Latin script: ) ; ; (modern Iranian reading: ); were a diverse array of mainly Turkoman "The Qizilbash, composed mainly of Turkman tribesmen, were the military force introduced by the conquering Safavis to the Irani ...
, who were
Turkoman warriors and the main force of the
Safavid military.
The governorship of
Herat
Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Se ...
(in present-day
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
) was given to Sam Mirza, succeeding Ebrahim Soltan Khan Mowsellu. Like other figures such as Tahmasp I and Bahram Mirza, it was most likely during his governorship of Herat that Sam Mirza learned about art and literature and developed his own artistic preferences. Sam Mirza's governance included terms under
Durmish Khan Shamlu between 1521–1526 and Hoseyn Khan Shamlu between 1526–1530, until he was briefly replaced by Bahram Mirza and his guardian Ghazi Khan Takkalu between 1530–1533. From 1533 to 1536, Sam Mirza held the governorship of Herat again, with Aghzivar Khan Shamlu as his guardian. All three guardians of Sam Mirza were members of the
Shamlu
The Shamlu tribe (; ), also known as the Shamli tribe, was one of the seven original and the most powerful Qizilbash tribes of Turkoman (ethnonym), Turcoman origin in Iran.
List of the Khans of Shamlu
*Ahmad Sultan Shamlu
*Abdu Bey, Beg Shaml ...
tribe. During his time in Herat, Sam Mirza experienced the remnants of the zenith of Persian culture under the
Timurid ruler
Sultan Husayn Bayqara
Sultan Husayn Bayqara Mirza ( ''Husayn Bāyqarā''; June/July 1438 – 4 May 1506) was the Timurid dynasty, Timurid ruler of Herat from 1469 until May 4, 1506, with a brief interruption in 1470.
A skilled statesman, Sultan Husayn Bayqara was ...
() and was involved in the power struggle of his guardians. Hoseyn Khan Shamlu is allegedly said to have backed him as a contender for the throne against Tahmasp I.
Following the murder of Hoseyn Khan Shamlu in 1534, Sam Mirza was persuaded into disobedience and took advantage of the Qizilbash troops that were assigned to him to protect Herat against the
Uzbeks
The Uzbeks () are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, being among the largest Turkic ethnic groups in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakhs, Kazakh and Karakalpaks, Karakalpak ...
from the
Khanate of Bukhara
The Khanate of Bukhara was an Uzbek state in Central Asia from 1501 to 1785, founded by the Abu'l-Khayrid dynasty, a branch of the Shaybanids. From 1533 to 1540, Bukhara briefly became its capital during the reign of Ubaidullah Khan. The Khana ...
. Ignoring the shah's instructions, he sent them on an unsuccessful expedition against the
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
city of
Kandahar
Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city, after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118 in 2015. It is the capital of Kandahar Pro ...
, which resulted in the death of many of the Qizilbash troops, including Aghzivar Khan Shamlu. Sam Mirza, forced to flee through
Sistan
Sistān (), also known as Sakastān (, , current name: Zabol) and Sijistan (), is a historical region in south-eastern Iran and extending across the borders of present-day south-western Afghanistan, and south-western Pakistan. Mostly correspond ...
to
Tabas
Tabas () is a city in the Central District of Tabas County, South Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.
History Early history
The history of Tabas dates back to pre-Islamic times. It was an im ...
, left Herat vulnerable, allowing the Uzbeks to seize control and subject the city to fourteen months of brutal rule. Khalifeh Soltan Shamlu was appointed as the temporary governor of Herat. By 1537, order had returned to Herat as a result of Tahmasp I's direct intervention. Even though Sam Mirza apologized, this event ruined his political career.
Sam Mirza continued to be a respected figure in the royal court, despite not playing an important role. Resembling an ancient Persian knight, he outperformed in the chivalrous art of ''hunar numudan'' during the
state visit
A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state, head of a sovereign state, sovereign country (or Governor-general, representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or ...
by the Mughal emperor
Humayun
Nasir al-Din Muhammad (6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), commonly known by his regnal name Humayun (), was the second Mughal emperor, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Northern India, and Pakistan from ...
in 1544. Reportedly firmly attached to his literary goals, Sam Mirza began work on his ''Tohfa-ye Sami'' ("Gift of Sam") from at least 1550, finishing in 1560/61 at the latest. The scribe and historian
Ahmad Ghaffari Qazvini worked under Sam Mirza during his period, composing the
universal history Universal history may refer to:
* Universal history (genre), a literary genre
**''Jami' al-tawarikh'', 14th-century work of literature and history, produced by the Mongol Ilkhanate in Persia
** Universal History (Sale et al), ''Universal History'' ...
''
Tarikh-e negarestan'' in 1552.
In 1561/62, Sam Mirza faced allegations of political plotting and was imprisoned with the two sons of Alqas Mirza (who had previously rebelled) at the fortress of
Qahqaheh Castle, a site known for holding political prisoners. He died there from an earthquake in 1566/67.
Literary work
Writing under the
pen name
A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...
"Sami", Sam Mirza is known for his ''Tohfa-ye Sami'', a collection of biographies of contemporary Persian poets, which reflects his extensive engagement with Persian poetry and poets of his time. It was inspired by the similar work ''Majalis al-Nafais'' ("Assemblies of Precious Things") by
Ali-Shir Nava'i
'Ali-Shir Nava'i (9 February 1441 – 3 January 1501), also known as Nizām-al-Din ʿAli-Shir Herawī ( Chagatai: نظام الدین علی شیر نوایی, ) was a Timurid poet, writer, statesman, linguist, Hanafi Maturidi mystic and ...
and used the same style as that of the ''Tadhkirat al-shu'ara'' ("Biography of Poets") by
Dawlatshah Samarqandi. The ''Tohfa-ye Sami'' comprises 714 brief biographies of distinguished poets since the rise of Ismail I. These entries generally focus on various elements such as name, origin, place of employment, roles, education, and artistic expertise. However, they often lack comprehensive details. Information about the poets' works or their preferred writing styles is occasionally missing, and credentials are sometimes left out. Sam Mirza starts by expressing admiration for the poets, claiming they have outdone the renowned poets of the past, such as
Amir Khusrau
Abu'l Hasan Yamīn ud-Dīn Khusrau (1253 – 1325 AD), better known as Amīr Khusrau, sometimes spelled as, Amir Khusrow or Amir Khusro, was an Indo-Persian Sufi singer, musician, poet and scholar, who lived during the period of the Delhi Sult ...
,
Saadi Shirazi
Abu Mohammad Moshrefoldin Mosleh ebn Abdollah ebn Mosharraf, better known by his pen name Saadi (; , ), also known as Saadi of Shiraz (, ''Saʿdī Shīrāzī''; born 1210; died 1291 or 1292), was a Persian poet and prose writer of the medieval p ...
,
Anvari and
Ferdowsi
Abu'l-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi (also Firdawsi, ; 940 – 1019/1025) was a Persians, Persian poet and the author of ''Shahnameh'' ("Book of Kings"), which is one of the world's longest epic poetry, epic poems created by a single poet, and the gre ...
.
Chapter one focuses on the rulers of the era, starting with Ismail I and his family, but also including enemies like the Uzbek ruler
Ubaidullah Khan
Ubaidullah Khan ( Chagatai/; 1487–1539), also Ubaid Khan, was the 4th Shaybanid Khan of Bukhara, who ruled between 1534 and 1539. He was the son of Mahmud and nephew of Muhammad Shaybani, founder of the Shaybanid dynasty.
Biography
After ...
, who fought against Sam Mirza over the control of Herat. Chapter two focuses on prominent descendants of the Islamic prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
and the
Shia
Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib () as both his political successor (caliph) and as the spiritual leader of the Muslim community (imam). However, his right is understood ...
clergy. Chapter three focuses on
vizier
A vizier (; ; ) is a high-ranking political advisor or Minister (government), minister in the Near East. The Abbasids, Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was at first merely a help ...
s and high-ranking officials from the scribal class. Chapter four focuses on influential figures who sometimes wrote poetry. Chapter five focuses on the main figures in poetry, with major ones first and lesser ones later. Chapter six focuses on Turkic-speaking poets writing in Persian. Chapter seven focuses on
poetaster
Poetaster (), like rhymester or versifier, is a derogatory term applied to bad or inferior poets. Specifically, ''poetaster'' has implications of unwarranted pretensions to artistic value. The word was coined in Latin by Erasmus in 1521. It was f ...
s.
Two elements are consistently present in the biographies: the place of origin and a verse quotation, though often limited to a single line, typically the first couplet (''
matla''') of a ''
ghazal
''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...
''. Sam Mirza views Persian poetry as something shaped by all the different places where it is practiced, rather than focusing on just one place, so that he can show the true essence of Persian poetry. He shows an interest in the inclusion and spread of poetry throughout different social classes, from everyday workers to those of high status. Particularly, he is interested in simpler jobs such as trading and crafting.
Sam Mirza is also reported to have written a ''
divan
A divan or diwan (, ''dīvān''; from Sumerian ''dub'', clay tablet) was a high government ministry in various Islamic states, or its chief official (see ''dewan'').
Etymology
The word, recorded in English since 1586, meaning "Oriental cou ...
'' (collection of poems), which has not survived. It was said to encompass 6,000 verses, according to the Iranian intellectual
Mohammad Ali Tarbiat, who saw a manuscript of it, quoting one of its ''ghazals''. Some other verses are also quoted in the ''Tohfa-ye Sami''. Sam Mirza most likely served as a role model for his nephew
Ibrahim Mirza
Ibrahim Mirza, Solṭān Ebrāhīm Mīrzā, in full Abu'l Fat'h Sultan Ibrahim Mirza (; April 1540 – 23 February 1577) was a Persian prince of the Safavid dynasty, who was a favourite of his uncle and father-in-law Shah Tahmasp I, but who was ...
, who was a poet and artist.
Family
Sam Mirza was married to Hoseyn Khan Shamlu's daughter. He had a son named Rostam Mirza, who was married to a member of the Shaykhavand family. Still a young age, he died of
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
in the spring of 1554. Sam Mirza also had a daughter, who was married to
Isa Khan Gorji. According to the 17th century historian
Abdul Hamid Lahori
ʿAbd-al-Ḥamīd Lāhūrī (; died 14 May 1654) was a 17th-century traveller and historian during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahān who later became a court historian for the emperor. He wrote the '' Pādshāh-nāma'', the official chro ...
, Mir Aref Ardebili, a son of Sam Mirza, entered the household of
Akbar
Akbar (Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar, – ), popularly known as Akbar the Great, was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Humayun, under a regent, Bairam Khan, who helped the young emperor expa ...
(), the
Mughal
Mughal or Moghul may refer to:
Related to the Mughal Empire
* Mughal Empire of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries
* Mughal dynasty
* Mughal emperors
* Mughal people, a social group of Central and South Asia
* Mughal architecture
* Mug ...
emperor, but did not accept any offers of office on the account of his
Sufi
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
beliefs. His descendants established themselves in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...
and continued to receive cash prizes from the Mughal emperors.
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sam Mirza
16th-century Iranian poets
Safavid princes
Safavid governors of Herat
16th-century Iranian writers
Iranian people of Georgian descent
16th-century people from Safavid Iran
1517 births
1566 deaths