Muṭāli̒āt-i tārīkh-i farhangī(Cultural History Studies)

The Position of Masters of Tarab (Musicians) and the People of Naghmeh (Singers) in the Shadow of the Religious Policy of King Tahmasp I*

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Aidin Parsaei Rad 1
Hooman Asaadi 2
Seyyed Hossein Meysami 3

1 Alborz Campus, a sub-division of the Faculty of Visual Arts, Fine Arts Campus, University of Tehran

2 Associate Professor of Music Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran.

3 Department of Ethnomusicology, Faculty of Music, Farabi Campus, Iran University of Arts.

10.22034/chs.2026.585467.1188
Abstract
One of the important factors in the direction of musical life in Safavid Iran was the institution of power, or more precisely, the manifestation of the politics of court culture on this art. Therefore, considering the subject matter of this article, it is essential to become aware of the policy of bloodshed1 and the way King Tahmasp I dealt with his religious prejudices in the process of continuing the life of this art and explaining the position of musicians, especially in the court of that era. Therefore, considering the necessity and importance expressed in this research, the question is: what impact did King Tahmasp I's religious policy have on the situation of the community of musical artists and the life of this art in the court?

The research method is descriptive and analytical, and the data and information were collected through library sources and documents. It seems that King Tahmasp's view on the art of music was based more on his religious beliefs and prejudices; However, in some cases, he also had the political aspect in mind. With the argument that we witness the role of the people of the musical arts and the organization of feasts, periodically in the Shah's court and under his direct orders; because the prohibitions issued by the Shah himself, in sensitive times when the political interests of the court were the main priority, lacked any guarantee of execution and were in practice completely violated by Shah Tahmasp himself.

Keywords

King Tahmasp I
Prohibitions
Feasts
Masters of Tarab
People of Naghmeh
Naqara House of Homayoun
Muṭāli̒āt-i tārīkh-i farhangī(Cultural History Studies)

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 September 2026

  • Receive Date 16 June 2026
  • Revise Date 31 August 2026
  • Accept Date 06 September 2026
  • Publish Date 06 September 2026

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