From the Doge to the Shah: Venetian diplomatic gifts for the Safavid Empire

Abstract

Gift-giving was an important feature of early modern diplomacy and as a tangible expression of goodwill and generosity, it helped build ties and maintain relationships. The gift was not only a sign of goodwill. As means of symbolic communication, diplomatic gifts conveyed political messages. Apart from facilitating diplomatic encounters, diplomatic gifts revealed the relative status of states as well as their political, economic, and cultural intentions. Furthermore, the rulers used such gifts to display their power and wealth. The emergence of the Safavid Empire in the early sixteenth century coincided with the sustained eastward expansion of the Ottoman Empire, and the European powers, especially Venice, explored the possibilities of forming an alliance against the Ottomans with the involvement of the Safavids. The Ottoman threat and mutual commercial interests contributed to the emergence and development of diplomatic, cultural, and trade relations between the Republic of Venice and the Safavid Empire. The Safavid-Venetian diplomatic relationship was generally characterized by its infrequent nature and only the reign of Shah Abbas I (r. 1587–1629) witnessed a relative increase in diplomatic contacts between these states.