A Diplomatic Study of Two Letters from the Reign of Shah Safi and a Reinterpretation of the Role of Capuchin Missionaries in Iran–France Relations

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Associate Professor, Department of History, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran

10.30484/ganj.2025.3285

Abstract

Purpose: Addressing a gap in the primary sources on Iran–France relations in the early Safavid period, this study investigates the historical authenticity, content, and significance of diplomatic letters exchanged between Shah Safi of the Safavid Empire and Louis XIII of France.
Method and Research Design: This study employs documentary analysis to examine two previously overlooked epistles. These documents are preserved in a manuscript known as the Dānishnāma-ye Fārsi (The Persian Encyclopedia), held in the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Findings and Conclusion: The analysis demonstrates that, despite the manuscript’s apparent educational purpose, the letters possess substantial historical validity. They provide clear evidence of the continuity and institutionalization of bilateral relations during Shah Safi’s reign, primarily driven by shared economic and commercial security interests rather than by a military alliance against the Ottoman Empire. Notably, Louis XIII’s reply is identified as the first documented direct response from a French monarch to a Safavid sovereign within this specific chronology. Furthermore, a meticulous examination of stylistics, titles, and terminology reveals the deep cultural and diplomatic acumen of the French scribe, who was fluent in Persian courtly conventions, and it redefines the pivotal role of Capuchin missionaries—particularly Gabriel de Paris—as essential cultural-diplomatic intermediaries and principal agents facilitating this exchange.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Manuscripts
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  • Receive Date: 21 June 2025
  • Revise Date: 28 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 03 September 2025

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