Page 22 - Journal of the Cenral Asian Society (1960)

212 I-'IM.III.I. HOI MM PERSIAN r.Ul.K AND ITS JEWISH SETTLEMENT'S
non-believers, he encouraged the immigration of foreigners, mer­
chants, settlers, and artisans from neighboring countries such
as Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, and also from Europe. By granting
freedom of religion and special privileges and facilities to all those
who were ready to come to his territory, he was able to succeed
in this purpose. It was this new attitude which made Persia at
diplomats, merchants-adventurcrs. missionaries—all eager to f
that time the meeting-place of European envoys, emissaries,
obtain commercial, |>olitical or religious concessions and privi­
leges. Never before in the history of Persia’s relationship with
the outside world were the ties l>etween Persia and Europe,
economically and politically, closer.0
This attitude of the Shah also had its beneficial effect on the
Jews of the neighboring countries, as the sources, though scanty, 4 references to Jews from Aleppo, Tripoli, Baghdad, and Con­
t
allow us to recognize, and Jews, too, availed themselves of the
l
new trend of events in Persia.
It is significant for the interrelationship between general and
%
Jewish history that Jews from Palestine seem also to have been
aware of the new situation in the lands beyond the Euphrates
4 messenger, and his role as a spiritual and cultural link between the Jcwi-h
and Tigris. They must have followed the trend of events in
distant land quite closely because the opening of the relations
between Persia and Europe, was also a signal for Palestinian
Jews to open relations with the Jewish communities in Persia.
It was at that time that Jewish messengers, Shelikhim, wen I
out to visit their brethren in Persia. Simultaneously therefore,
with the appearance in Persia of Christian travelers for religious
purposes — Carmelites, Dominicans. Jesuits, Auguslines, - and
European merchants for economic and political reasons—Italians,
Russia and Rersia. London 1885. pp. 146-147.) Nol less fanatical was his
successor Shah Ismael II (1576-77) who hesitated to issue new silver and gold
coins on the ground that the coins could he handled also by non-lndievers such
as \rmenians. Jews. Indians, which had to he avoided since there were cn-
grave*I on the coins the words: There is no Cod hut Allah and Mohammed is
his Prophet and Ali is the friend of Allah. (See \V. Hinz: "Schuh Ismail II”
in MSOS. Berlin 19.4.4. p. 8.4.)
n See L. Bouvat: Es-ai sur les rapports tie la Perse avec PEurope in Revue
du Monde Mitsui man, Paris 1921. Vol. 4ft. pp. 2J-ft2: also A. Siassi: I.a Reese
uu *onlaet de L’Onident. Paris 19.41: and K. Bayaui: Les Relations de l'Iran
avet rEurope lucidentalc a I’epinjuc Sifoxide. Paris 19.17.
2U
Portuguese, Spaniards, Dutchmen, Frenchmen, British, and
others — Jews from Palestine seized the first opportunity, though
for other reasons, to create new ties between Jerusalem and the
Persian diaspora. These Jewish messengers11 did not seek inter­
views with kings or ministers; they did not ask for privileges or
favors from the authorities; they did not look for official re­
ceptions or for diplomatic or economic advantages. Their aim
was to foster the love for /.ion, and to urge assistance for the
charitable institutions in the Holy Land. Undoubtedly as a
direct result of the new economic policy, also Jewish merchants
from neighboring countries, especially from the Ottoman Empire,
came to Persia to settle, strengthening already existing com-
munitics or establishing new ones, In the sources we fin*I
stantinople, some of whom settled down permanently in Persia.1'
We learn that Jews from Georgia, from the city of Zagrum, who
helper! Shah Abbas in his expedition against Turkey in 161,4.
11 Though die full history of (he institution of the "shaliakh". the Jcwi>h
communities in Palestine and those in Asia and particularly in Persia, has
not yet been written it is generally supposed that the first Jewish messenger
to Persia from Palestine was Rabbi Moshe Alshaikh (1508-lftOO) from Safe*I.
one of the great masters of the Talmud of his time, a preacher ami teacher of
outstanding qualities whose advice was miu gilt from Jewish communities all
the East. But this tradition can hardly l>e substantiated from hisinriiul
over
sources. Sec the studies of A. Vaari on "Shlikhim from Krez Israel” in .Sinai
1940. III. No. 8-9. p. 170/178.
,J About a Jewish family from Palestine who immigrated into IVr-ia and
settled there in this period see the interesting passage in Pietro della Valle’-
Travels I. c. etl. Pinkerton Vol. IX. p. 41. This Italian traveler met in Cazwin
in 1618 a Jew- of whom he said: "As I am ever desirous of forming acquaiu-
tances with the learned in the little time I remain here. I got introduced to a
Jew, a native of Shiras. whose family, however, came from Safed. at present
a seminary of the most learned and most religious among the Jews in Palestine.
His name was Mulla Mesdh. and lie was brought to Cazwin by the king to
>n-
practice physic (!) and he carries out this profession publicly, receiving per-*
at his house with great civility, but visiting mine: where necessary, to -end to
the patient for his being loo weak to come to consult him — he dispat die*
<oine ignorant servant and prescribes from his report of the svmploms without
-ceing the patient... He showed me his library which contained nothing
curious . .