Subscriber Essay: The Very Abridged Rise of the Safavids

It's a dirty little secret that my abandoned Ph.D. would have been on the Safavid Dynasty, which ruled Iran (historically defined, which is a bigger area than the modern nation-state) from 1501 through the early-mid 18th century (things got a little complicated toward the end and the dynasty has a couple of possible end dates in that period). The Safavi…