A war-zone 400 years ago

I’ve already written about archaeology being carried out in the current war-zone on the Iran-Afghan border. But the rest of Khurasan was a busy conflict zone before and in the early years of Shah Abbas’ reign –with either the Safavid or the Uzbeg army, or both, invading pretty much every year.

While the sieges and occupations of Mashhad and Nishapur are well-documented, the effects on the smaller towns and villages in the area are often ignored. And it’s easy to forget this past, when the villages are now sleepy and the old mud or mud-brick buildings have melted into the dust.

I’ve already written about the huge, now disappeared fortress in Lasjird. But there were many other previously-military locations.

Even in settlements where I found no architectural or textual evidence directly linking the built environment to war, the local people were directly involved in the conflict four hundred years ago.

During my fieldwork retracing the 1000km walk of Shah Abbas, the local people in Mazinan were very welcoming.  First, a young man helped me climb up the village yakchal – now used as a store for the banners and standards carried in Ashura processions.  This had only very recently had a new covering of mud and straw applied – I cut my hands on the straw on the way up.

Then more of the villagers proudly showed me their restored Safavid caravanserai and its water supply (and its unique hamam), as well as the oldest (now disused) mosque – whilst suggesting all these locations as possible stopping places for Abbas.

In 1592-3, outsiders were much less welcome. The senior seyyeds and nobles in the village banded together to kill their Uzbeg governor, Qovaydas Bahador. Various other local Uzbeg governors abandoned their posts, and the villagers were rewarded by a grant of tax immunities and other favours when they took his head to Shah Abbas.