DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2663-4619/125/64-84
Karim Novruzov
Agdam District Secondary School No. 95
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7805-6552
karim.novruz@mail.ru
The Formation of Safavid-English Relations:
The Role of the Moscow Company
Abstract
The article emphasizes that Azerbaijan has ancient and rich statehood traditions, which have played an important role in strengthening the modern independent state. The relations of the Aq Qoyunlu and Safavid states, which existed in the territory of Azerbaijan in the Middle Ages, with European countries are of particular significance for the history of diplomacy. The article examines the first political and commercial relations established between the Safavid state and England beginning in 1561. These relations were mainly carried out through the activities of the English Muscovy Company. The six expeditions sent by the Muscovy Company to the Safavid state in the second half of the sixteenth century are analyzed in chronological order. The aims and outcomes of each expedition are explained on the basis of concrete historical evidence. In England, the rapid development of sheep breeding and the woolen cloth industry in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries increased interest in foreign markets.
Over time, the export of raw wool was gradually replaced by the export of finished woolen cloth. These economic changes made it necessary for England to search for new trade routes. The idea of the Northeast Sea Route emerged as a result of this need. The Muscovy Company became one of the first large trading organizations operating on the basis of joint-stock principles. The company played an important role in the expansion of England’s commercial and diplomatic interests toward the East. Overall, the article clearly demonstrates the place of Anglo-Safavid relations within the international relations system and highlights how Azerbaijan’s medieval history was reflected in European sources.
Keywords: Azerbaijan, Safavid State, England, Muscovy Company, medieval diplomacy, international trade, wool industry, Northeast Sea Route, Anglo-Safavid relations