1st Tobunken Staff Seminar (Academic Year 2022) “Connecting East Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea, Caucasus and Russia: Iran`s plan to open a new Silk Road during the Safavid era (17th century)”

Date and Time:June 16, 2022 (Thu.), 2:00-4:00 PM (JST)

Venue:Online via Zoom

Registration:Please register here by June 15:  ( https://forms.gle/dz1avgih4Bd5ZN3z5)
You will receive Zoom Meeting URL after registration by noon on June 16.

Title:Connecting East Asia to Europe via the Caspian Sea, Caucasus and Russia: Iran`s plan to open a new Silk Road during the Safavid era (17th century)

Speaker:Mansur SEFATGOL (Visiting Professor, IASA, UTokyo / Professor, The University of Tehran)

Chair:Kazuo MORIMOTO (Professor, IASA, UTokyo)

Language:English

Abstract:
From the 16th to the 18th centuries, Iran/Persia started an important plan to open new routes for trade with Europe and East Asia. In the 17th century, these efforts reached to its zenith. Thus, in order to facilitate trade and access, Iran launched a major program that included a number of important sectors, such as construction and securing Iran's internal roads and ports, retaking islands and coasts in the Persian Gulf from the Portuguese, efforts to establish naval fleets in the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea, promoting trade through the Volga to Northern Europe, as well as access through the Caucasus to the Black Sea, and establishing a naval base on the Black Sea coast, establishing links with East Asian governments including Thailand/Siam to access China's ports and commercial market, and effort to access the Japanese ports. The aim of this plan was to link East Asia to Europe through the way that can be called the Southern-Northern Silk Road. Although the beginning of the plan was successful, it seems to have faced problems during the 17th century. Iran's domestic issues and external issues such as the obstacles and sabotage of Russia, European companies, and the Ottomans were serious obstacles to the implementation of this program. The present study tries to investigate this program with an emphasis on the source materials issue.