An Examination of Punishments and Penalties during the Safavid Era in the Mirror of Western Travelogues

Abstract

The Safavid period (1501–1736 CE) represents one of the most significant epochs in Iranian history, during which the penal system and methods of punishment were systematically implemented to consolidate sovereign authority and maintain social control. In this era, punishments such as flogging, branding, amputation, execution, and various forms of torture were employed not only as instruments of justice but also as tools for instilling fear and suppressing dissent. This study, relying on the accounts of European travelers such as the Shirley brothers, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, Jean Chardin, Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri, Adam Olearius, and the Venetian ambassador, examines the implementation of punishments and penal mechanisms during the Safavid period. These sources, being closely acquainted with the Safavid court and its administrative apparatus, provide a vivid depiction of the severity and extent of punishments in this era. The findings of this research indicate that criminal violence in the Safavid period was utilized not merely for the enforcement of public order but also for strengthening the authoritarian foundations of governance. Through the analysis of historical data, this article reconstructs a portrait of the legal and penal realities of the era based on direct observations and precise descriptions recorded in European travelogues.