Experience, family, talent, relationship and supporting the Safavids were the most important factors to acquire the vizierate office in the Safavid era. The role of the family was the most important one. Because most of the viziers came from high classes and the family situation affected other factors. Viziers whom were selected according to their experience and talents were chiefly capable and meritorious but a great number of the Viziers achieved the position of vizierate by relying on their family status and relationship with Emirs and courtiers while lacking enough merit. Using historical method and sociology theories, the paper aims to assess the measure of social mobility and meritocracy in the Safavid era. The findings of the paper shows while the Safavid society was flexible but was not meritocratic enough. There were many obstacles in the way of meritocracy. Half of the thirty viziers did not enjoy enough merits and only eight of them were meritorious.
Tahmasbi S. A Study of Social Mobility and Meritocracy in the Safavid Era (By Emphasizing on the Vizierate). مطالعات تاریخ اسلام 2018; 10 (37) :155-192 URL: http://journal.pte.ac.ir/article-1-459-en.html