ABSTRACT

In 1600, the first official embassy of Shah Abbas Safavi arrived from Persia in Europe. The second was to tune up the commercial traffic of raw silk export from Persia to Europe, production of which was monopolized by the shah. The shah's embassy headed by Anthony Shirley and Huseyn Ali Bey brought the shah's private letters, as well as trade and politico-military draft agreements. Abbas, in exchange for a political-military alliance, offered to bring his Christian subjects—Orthodox and Armenians in subordination to the Roman Catholic Church. After getting proposals from the Persian shah, the Roman Curia was convinced that Abbas was either a secret Christian or was ready to Christianize. Alleging the powers given by Shah Abbas, Anthony Shirley assured Clement VIII that Abbas was being courteous and kindly by nature towards Christians, and of his own accord inclined to favour them, especially since he had taken to wife a Christian, daughter of Simon Khan, of the Georgian kings.