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PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 Gunay Heydarli, 2019 Volume 5 Issue 3, pp. 1003-1019 Date of Publication: 27th November 2019 DOI- https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2019.53.10031019 This paper can be cited as: Heydarli, G. (2019). Why Did the Catholic Missionaries Fail to Convert the Armenian and Georgian Community of the Safavid Empire in the 17th Century? PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 5(3), 1003-1019. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. WHY DID THE CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES FAIL TO CONVERT THE ARMENIAN AND GEORGIAN COMMUNITY OF THE SAFAVID EMPIRE IN THE 17th CENTURY? Gunay Heydarli Faculty of History, Baku State University, Azerbaijan [email protected] This work was supported by the US Embassy in Azerbaijan Abstract In the early modern period the Protestant Reformation weakened the Roman Catholic Church and it lost its influence over Europe. The Church turned its policy to the East to propagate the faith. For nearly a century, the missionaries were represented in the Safavid provinces and attempted to win the Eastern Christian Population for the Catholic Church. On the other hand,with the flow of Catholic missionaries caused the increase of intercultural and interreligious exchanges. This paper examines the Catholic missionaries’motives to bring the Safavids’ Eastern Christian Community under papal jurisdiction as well as the reception that the Safavid rulers, Armenian Church and Georgian Church offered vis-a- vis this group. The aim of the study is to investigate the missionaries’ attempts to create a ‘fifth column’ by proselytizing the Eastern Christian Community in the Safavid territories. Keywords Catholic Church, Safavids Empire, Eastern Christian Community, Armenian Church, Georgian Church 1003 PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 1. Introduction 1.1 A Religious Policy of Popes and the Safavid Empire Close relations between the European countries and the Safavid Empire during the early 17th century gave an opportunity for the catholic missionaries to penetrate into the Safavid lands. A considerable number of friars from the major Catholic Orders, such as the Augustinians, Carmelites, Jesuits, and Capuchins served to disseminate Catholic belief among the Eastern Christian community of the Safavids Empire. (Shaked & Moreen, 1986, p.247). This paper attempts to address the following questions from a historical perspective: Why did the missionaries want to penetrate to the Eastern Christian Community? Why were they frustrated in converting the Eastern Christians? Before discussing the missionary activities in the Safavids Empire, let’s clarify what are missionaries? Missionaries are sent by the Catholic Church for spreading the faith or proclaiming the Gospel in non-christian countries. According the Church, at the core of all missionary work is the order, which Jesus gave them in Matthew 28:19, when he said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”(United Church of God. Does Matthew 28 verse 19 Prove the Trinity?, 2011) Some scholars identify missions with the notion of “tablig” (propaganda) in the Quran. In responding to this approach, it is important to note that propaganda is merely to proclaim the message of Islam. This targeted audience can be both Muslim and non-Muslim. The verse of the Quran, An-Nur is instance of it: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility for] clear notification.” (The Holy Qur’an, 2015, p.402) No violent methods or compulsion are allowed in this propaganda. However, during the Age of Exploration, missionary activities became inseparable with colonial policy. There are many bullas and briefs which were published by the popes supporting colonial activities. (Mahmudov, 2006, p.45).In 1453, in the brief Dum Diversas Pope V Nicholas granted Alonso V of Portugal the right “to invade, conquer, take by force and bring about the submissions of Saracens and pagans, as well as other infidels and enemies of Christ, whoever and wherever they may be..” (Housley, 2010, p. 56) Moreover, the bull Romanus Pontifex of 1455 granted to Alfonso and his successors the right to "found, establish and build all the churches, monasteries and other holy places in the provinces, islands and other places already acquired by him, or those to be acquired and to send all willing ecclesiastical persons, secular or regular, of all Orders, including even the mendicants, always under license of their superiors.” (Housley, 2010, p.62) Consequently, Estado da İndia, or Portuguese İndia, played a crucial role in the dissemination of Christianity. According to J. Flannery, approximately twenty-six missions were established from Goa, 1004 PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 the capital of Estado da India to different countries, including the Safavid Empire, during the period of 1515 to 1695. (Flannery, 2013, p.45) Shah I Abbas (1587-1629) devoted the first ten years of his reign to strengthening domestic and foreign policy in order to regain Safavid territories taken by the Ottoman Empire. This included a series of ambassadorial visits to the European courts during his reign. Two main issues dominated the messages that diplomats conveyed: 1) the desire to establish an alliance with the European countries 2) to divert the silk trade from an overland east-west route that went through Ottoman territory to a north- south route that went by sea. (Quinn, 2015, p.104) The second part of his offer contained not only trade concessions for European enterprises, but also privileges for Christian missionaries. The Safavid shah gave them a permit to construct convents in various provinces and became residents. Furthermore, the Catholic Church endeavored to gain special privileges for the missionaries that supported their activities in Safavid Empire, including: 1. Freedom of residence and ownership; 2. Immunity from taxation; 3. Freedom of trade; 4. The right of movement throughout the Empire; 5. Political protection 6. Respectful treatment by Safavid officials 7. The right of an audience with the Shah anytime 8. Permission to set up convents in various places, became residents, and open ecclesiastical, educational, and other institutions; (Matthee, 2009, p.154) 1.2 The Armenian and Georgian Community of the Safavid Empire and Catholicism-Related Activities of Catholic Missionaries Armenians and Georgians had great privileges during the reign of Shah Abbas I. They were significant silk traders. Some part of the Georgian and Armenian population accepted Islam and acted as “ghulams” (slave soldiers) in the army, even some of them were promoted to state positions. The Safavid Empire had not violated the faith of the Armenian and Georgian population and gave a free hand to them, thus, caused concerns to some countries in Europe that were religious initiators. Since this tolerance could undermine the reign of the Rome over the Christians. Created in Rome in 1622, the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (Propaganda Fide) concentrated its efforts on all missionaries and strengthened its supervision. Schools educating in many languages had been opened and publishing houses had been established in Rome since 1627. The school provided education to students from other countries. Religious books in different languages, including Armenian and Georgian, 1005 PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 were published at the publishing house and delivered to missionaries. During the next two decades, new groups of missionaries armed with these publications began to arrive in the Safavid lands. Shah Abbas II’s vizier Mirza Muhammad Tagi beg was known as an organizer of scientific discussions. This vizier’s successor, Muhammad Mirza Mehdi studied engineering and mathematics. (Matthee, 1991, p.19) R. Matthee emphasizes that (1998) the Jusuit missionary Pier Abroise was invited to the court to teach mathematic and astrology. (Matthee, 1991, p.25). Blaise de Nautes gave French lessons to the Safavid officials. İn the middle of the 17th century the Muslim clerics assembled in Isfahan, on the maydan to debate theological issues with the missionaries. (Ferrier & Chardin, 1996, p.195). In a result of such disputes, the both sides, the Catholic missionaries and Shiite clerics created various works relating with Christianity and Islam. According to J. Chardin (1996, p.190), the Safavid shahs and governors asked send them books on Latin, inventions, mathematics and Christianity. He describes that Mirza Tahir, “son of the governor of Azerbaijan” had learned the art and the science from missionaries. (Griffith, 2010, p.88). The first section of the research paper examines the events in the context of political and religious concerns and interests of the Safavid rulers-Shah Abbas I and Shah Safi. During this period Armenians maintained a close relationship with the Catholic missionaries in order to gain more privileges and support. It then goes on to divisive issues arisen between
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