Court management in Safavid and Ottoman government: Comparative study of the Safavid Īshīk Āghāsī Bāshī dīwān authorities and duties with similar officials in the Ottoman court

Managing Safavid court was mostly under the control of one of the four high-ranking Safavid officials called Īshīk Āghāsī Bāshī dīwān. This court official had several subordinates for managing court affairs and duties like holding court parties and assemblies, welcoming special guests and foreign ambassadors, managing harem, and protecting court. In this research, the roles and duties of this high-ranking Safavid official and his subordinates have been considered and compared to similar officials of the Ottoman court. Findings of this comparative study indicate that although no certain official of Ottoman court could not be equated with Īshīk Āghāsī Bāshī dīwān in terms of authority and duties, some officials such as Dar Al-Saada Ağası, Kapı Ağası, and other groups in Ottoman court had a part of Safavid head court authority and performed similar duties.