The Academic Impacts of Schools during Safavid Era

Mosa Alreza Bakhshi Ostad[1]

Nozhat Ahmadi[2]

Abstract

After legitimization of Shiite religion in Iran, during Safavid era, schools (Madreseh) turned into the most significant educational institution, used at the service of this official religion. But what was the impact of this educational institution on religious and non-religious sciences of that time? What has been proposed based on conducted studies is that the academic dynamicity of schools was influential in expanding religious sciences and centralizing Shiite jurisprudence in Iran. Subscribing into viewpoints held by their founders and administrators, schools were influential in expanding academic thoughts, particularly Akhbari thoughts, during the second half of Safavid era. Furthermore, the emphasis of schools on religious sciences made other non-religious sciences fall from grace.