Shah Ismail I was the founder of the Safavid Empire. The Safavid Empire at the height of its power included Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Turkmenistan , and parts of Turkey. The Safavids would expand into parts of Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Georgia, Russia, and the Northern Caucasus. The portrait was produced by Cristofano dell’ Altissimo. The Italian painter based in Florence did a number of portraits of public figures and emperors. The writing in the background states ” Ismail rex sophy pers.” What it translates to is king Ismail the Sophy of Persia. The word Sophy was used to refer to the Safavid rulers in Europe. It was a term that the Safavids did not use for themselves. Shah Ismail’s reign was from 1501 to 1524. During this period he went to war with the Ottoman Empire and the Shaybanid Khanates. The new domestic policy was to make twelver Shia Islam the official religion. This would be a source of conflict between the Safavids and the Sunni Muslim population of the Middle East. Ismail I was probably seeking to build a theocratic state. His ambitions were cut short with the Battle of Chaldiran. The Ottoman Empire halted Safavid expansion into Eastern Anatolia and Northern Iraq in 1514.
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