Safi of Persia (1611–1642)
Born 1611 CE, died 1642 CE.
Sam Mirza (Persian: سام میرزا; 1611 – 12 May 1642), known by his dynastic name of Shah Safi (Persian: شاه صفی), was the sixth shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1629 to 1642. Abbas the Great was succeeded by his grandson, Safi. A reclusive and passive character, Safi was unable to fill the power vacuum which his grandfather had left behind. His officials undermined his authority and revolts constantly broke out across the realm. The continuing war with the Ottoman Empire, started with initial success during Abbas the Great's reign, but ended with the defeat of Iran and the Treaty of Zuhab, which returned much of Iran's conquests in Mesopotamia to the Ottomans. In order to assert his authority, Safi purged every potential claimant to his throne, including the sons of the Safavid princesses, and the sons of Abbas the Great, who were blinded and thus were unqualified to rule. The purge also saw the deaths of the leading figures of the realm. An example of Safi's cruelty occurred on the night of 20 February 1632, also known as the Bloody Ma'bas (named after Ma'bas), in which he had forty women of the Safavid imperial harem put to death.
Text from the Wikipedia article Safi_of_Persia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.