ABSTRACT
After putting down a rebellion in Gilan, the Safavid ruler Shāh ‘Abbās sent a trusted official to the Caspian region in 1003/1594–95 in order to round up any remaining rebels. Upon his arrival, the official secured binding pledges (möchälgä) from the holders of land grants in the region (ṣavāḥib-i ān mulk), who promised not to give the rebels shelter in their homes at night but to seize them and hand them over to the Safavid authorites. 1 The historian Iskandar Beg does not mention the penalty for non-compliance with the pledge, but based on precedent it may be assumed that it would have been heavy.
