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This dissertation explores the ways in which religious knowledge was produced and transmitted in Safavid madrasas, particularly in Isfahan, during the later Safavid period--from the reign of Shah Abbas II (1642-66) to the end of Shah Sult[dotbelow]an H[dotbelow]usayn's reign (1694-1722). It argues that Safavid madrasas functioned as multifaceted cultural centres that disseminated religious knowledge, preserved the Shi'ite intellectual heritage, and played an important role in reconstructing, re-articulating, and contextualizing or contemporizing the past. Safavid madrasas, which were established thanks largely to the largesse and piety of the Safavid shahs, very often acted on behalf of the established political power. However, due to the flexible, inclusive, and personal character of Islamic pedagogy, Shi'ite learning, like that of the wider Muslim community, could occur in a wide variety of places, from the houses of scholars to any mosque or shrine. After surveying Shi'ite scholarship and its institutions from the early decades of Islamic history until the mid-seventeenth century, this study contextualizes the Madrasa-yi Sult[dotbelow]ani, or Royal Madrasa, of late Safavid Isfahan within its political, social, and religious setting. This particular madrasa exemplifies the ways in which religious knowledge was transmitted in early modern Iran. By analyzing the deeds of endowment ( waqfiyyas ) of the Madrasa-yi Sult[dotbelow]ani and other madrasa-mosque institutions built by Shah Sult[dotbelow]an H[dotbelow]usayn and members of the Safavid elite, this study sheds light on the organizing mechanisms and structures for such educational and charitable foundations. Based on the large number of extant ijazas that were issued by Safavid scholars, and other primary sources, including waqfiyyas and autobiographies, this study reconstructs the curriculum of the Safavid madrasa and describes the pedagogical methods that Safavid scholars employed to transmit religious knowledge to their students. It also discusses the major problems facing Shi'ite higher learning by examining the critiques of such scholars as Mulla S[dotbelow]adra (d. 1635 or 1640), the Safavid philosopher, Muh[dotbelow]sin-i Fayd[dotbelow] Kashani (d. 1679), a renowned traditionalist, and Muh[dotbelow]ammad Baqir Khurasani, known as Muh[dotbelow]aqqiq-i Sabzawari (d. 1679), the Shaykh al-Islam of Isfahan and a prominent mujtahid . Finally it examines the life and career of Sayyid Mir Muh[dotbelow]ammad Baqir Khatunabadi (d. 1715), the first Safavid mulla-bashi (head of religious scholars) and the first rector and professor of the Madrasa-yi Sult[dotbelow]ani.
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