Borders and Belonging: Managing Migration in the Ottoman–Safavid Borderlands

This paper examines the dynamic patterns of migration between the Ottoman and Safavid Empires during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, focusing on the intersection of statecraft, diplomacy, and belonging. While the rivalry between these empires is often framed in sectarian or territorial terms, cross-border migration emerges as a pivotal and nuanced aspect of their interaction. The presentation explores how both empires navigated the challenges posed by the continuous flux of populations across their borders. It highlights the strategic measures adopted to attract migrants from one another’s territories, including incentives such as land grants, titles, and tax exemptions. At the same time, both courts issued edicts to dissuade emigration, fostered diplomatic exchanges to secure the return of their subjects, and negotiated migration policies within the broader framework of peace treaties.

Three key arguments anchor this discussion:

1. Diplomatic correspondence reveals that migration was a significant issue in Ottoman-Safavid relations, legally codified in peace treaties such as those of Amasya (1555), Constantinople (1590), and Zuhab (1639). These treaties, while focused on territorial and sectarian disputes, also included stipulations to curb migration, reflecting its impact on imperial strategies.
2. Despite urging adherence to treaty terms, both empires often breached agreements to further their geopolitical objectives.
3. Although migration policies were shaped by sectarian rhetoric, economic, political, and social factors were equally influential in determining imperial strategies.

Through case studies, including Shah Ismail’s correspondence with Bayezid II and a letter to Suleyman from a destitute Safavid refugee, the paper delves into the motivations behind migration and the responses of imperial authorities. By analyzing these episodes, the paper uncovers the ways migration shaped the rivalry between the two empires and contributed to their diplomatic, administrative, and ideological frameworks. This research enriches our understanding of empire-building, belonging, and human mobility in early modern Eurasia.