Journal of the stylistic of Persian poem and prose
volume Number 19، number In Volume 8، November 2026 ، issue Number 126

A Study at the Intellectual Level of Safavid-Period Books. A Case Study: Dramaturgical Analysis of Ambassadorial Ceremonies at the Safavid Court Based on Erving Goffman's Theory

Fatemeh Ghalavand

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The ceremonial reception of foreign ambassadors at the Safavid court (1501–1722) represents a key manifestation of royal authority in post-Islamic Iran. These ceremonies, documented in European travelogues and Persian chronicles, were strategic performances designed to project the shah"s absolute sovereignty. Erving Goffman"s dramaturgical model—which examines how power is produced through face-to-face interactions—offers a valuable lens for decoding these rituals. This study aims to provide a dramaturgical analysis of Safavid ambassadorial ceremonies, drawing on both Western travel narratives and indigenous Persian sources.

METHODOLOGY: Using an interpretive-analytical approach, this research applies Goffman"s core concepts—including front (setting, appearance, and manner), front stage/back stage distinction, impression management, performance teams, and hidden roles—to primary sources. Data are extracted from the travelogues of Chardin, Olearius, Kaempfer, Figueroa, alongside Persian texts such as Alam-ara-yi Abbasi, Dastur al-Muluk, and Tarikh-i Alfi. Through documentary analysis, the study reconstructs the micro-dynamics of ceremonial encounters.

FINDINGS: The analysis shows that Safavid court ceremonies functioned as strategic performances to convince ambassadors of the shah"s grandeur before any dialogue began. The architectural splendor of audience halls (setting), jewel-encrusted garments (appearance), and strict codes of conduct—such as "retreating backward" and "speaking concisely" (manner)—constituted a powerful front. The orchestration of front/back stage divisions, the stage manager"s role (Nazer-e Biyutat), and impression-management tactics—including simultaneous audiences, prolonged waiting periods, and the use of Sufi-Shi"ite ideology—reinforced this symbolic edifice. However, instances of ceremonial violations reveal that when political interests conflicted, performative rules collapsed and gave way to symbolic violence.

CONCLUSION: Safavid court ceremonies were not ornamental margins but integral components of Safavid diplomacy. Applying Goffman"s dramaturgical framework to travel accounts offers fresh insights into the "politics of performance" in early modern Iran, demonstrating that power was constructed and reproduced through space, time, movement, objects, and human relationships.

Keyword
Travelogues , Courtly ceremonies , Historical , dramaturgy , Erving Goffman.