The Role of Religious Fatwas in Legitimizing Safavid Foreign Policy Toward the Ottoman Empire

Abstract

This article explores the role of religious fatwas in legitimizing the Safavid Empire’s foreign policy toward the Ottoman Empire. Given that Twelver Shi'ism formed the fundamental basis of political and social legitimacy within the Safavid state, fatwas served as crucial tools for legitimizing wars, delineating identity boundaries, and shaping foreign policy strategies. Using historical discourse analysis and content analysis of theological and historical texts, the study examines cases such as the Battle of Chaldiran and the Treaty of Amasya to illustrate how Safavid scholars' fatwas played an effective role in justifying wars against the Ottomans as well as legitimizing periods of temporary peace. The findings reveal that fatwas were not merely auxiliary instruments but guiding and decisive factors in shaping Safavid diplomatic and military behavior. These results are interpretable through Max Weber’s theories of traditional and charismatic legitimacy, Carl Schmitt’s theory of the state of exception, and Islamic theories of political legitimacy. The article concludes by addressing the limitations of the available historical sources and suggesting further research on the influence of fatwas on the political culture of Safavid Iran.