Sceriman family

Last updated

The Villa Sceriman Widmann Rezzonico Foscari, owned by the Scerimans in the 18th century Villa Widmann-Foscari.jpg
The Villa Sceriman Widmann Rezzonico Foscari, owned by the Scerimans in the 18th century

The Sceriman family, also referred to as the Shahremanian, Shahremanean, Shahrimanian, Shehrimanian, Shariman, or Seriman [a] family, were a wealthy Safavid merchant family of Armenian ethnicity. A Catholic family, they had their roots in early 17th-century New Julfa (the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran), and relatively quickly came to preside over branches all over the world, stretching from Italy (mostly Venice) in the west, to Pegu (Burma) in the east. Apart from being renowned as a trader's family, some Scerimans were high-ranking individuals in the Safavid state, including in its military, religious, and bureaucratic systems. Later, similar positions were obtained abroad, such as in the various Italian city-states and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. They especially became renowned in the Republic of Venice, where they were well integrated into its ruling class. Nevertheless, until their decline in the late 1790s and eventual inactivity in the 19th century, they remained bound to their original base in Iran.

Contents

Despite their success, the Scerimans helped create a rift in the Armenian community of Iran. Due to their prominent position in society, their support of the Catholic faith created a strong sense of hostility between the majority Gregorian Armenians and minority Catholic Armenians.

History

Early years

Picture of New Julfa, Isfahan New Julfa - Armenian quarter of Isfahan 07.jpg
Picture of New Julfa, Isfahan

The ancestors of the Scerimans were from the Armenian-populated territories of the Safavid Empire, specifically from the town of Jugha ("Old Julfa"), and were amongst those that were deported during Shah Abbas I's (r.1588–1629) mass relocation of his empire's ethnic Armenian inhabitants in 1604. [2] [3] Historian Sebouh Aslanian  [ de ] says that some Armenian sources from the post-deportation period claim a noble status for the family, stating that the family belonged to an ancient clan of nobles ( nakharars ), with possible roots in the historical Armenian city of Ani. [3] After they were settled in the early 17th century in the new Armenian quarter of New Julfa within the boundaries of the city of Isfahan in central Iran, they started to be a pivotal factor in the internal and external commerce of the Safavid Empire. They accomplished this by making extensive use of their contacts both inside and outside the Safavid realm. [2]

The Scerimans were reputedly both the most influential and the richest amongst all Catholic Armenian families in New Julfa. [2] [4] The first patriarch of the family, Agha Morad, was from Jugha. Nothing is known about his life in Old Julfa, or about his career in New Julfa. [4] One of his sons, Shahriman, carried on the line. The family is named after him. [2] It was in the mid-17th century under Shahriman's son, Khvajeh Sarhat, that the family's wealth, prestige, and influence grew. [2] Unlike other Armenian merchants from Julfa, the Scerimans by origin and specialisation focused primarily on diamonds and gems, whereas most other Armenians from Julfa specialized in the silk trade with Europe. [2] As a family firm, the Scerimans followed the principle of the oldest man being in charge of the business and ventures, as well as having "patriarchial and managerial authority" over his siblings and their own families. [5] In 1646, Sarhat, who functioned as the main patriarch of the family, abjured from the Armenian Apostolic Church (i.e. Gregorianism) and converted to Catholicism. Other members would formally follow later. [2] Over the years, the Scerimans played an important role in the creation of a rift in the Armenian community of Iran. [6] Due to their prominent position in society, they, as heralds of the Catholic faith, created a strong sense of hostility between the majority Gregorian Armenians and minority Catholic Armenians. [6]

Consolidation

The eldest son of Sarhat, Zachariah, functioned as a royal merchant on behalf of Shah Suleiman I (r.1666–1694) and grand vizier Shaykh Ali Khan Zanganeh (1669–1689). [2] [7] Zachariah played a pivotal role in the ratification of Tsar Alexis's (r.1645–1676) decree which granted merchants from New Julfa special trade privileges for using the Russian route for the Safavid silk export to Europe. [8] In the same period, the Scerimans started to search for ways to expand their influence. [2] As early as 1613, the Scerimans owned property (a house) in Venice. They used it for their family members and agents whenever needed. After the 1650s, other sons of Sarhat increased the family's holdings in Italy. [2] In the 1650s and 1660s, Sarhat's fourth son, Gaspar, spent long periods of time in various Italian cities, including Venice, Livorno, and Rome. In the 1690s, Nazar and Shahriman, sons of Morad di Sceriman, [b] invested roughly 720,000 ducats into various banks in Venice. [2] [7] The deed was done by establishing numerous "interest-bearing accounts" and by offering "substantial" loans to the Venetian Republic, which needed them for its wars against the Ottoman Empire. [2] These investments would yield a significant profit later on. At about the same time, a certain "cultural component" is noted as well in the Scerimans' fixation on the Italian city-states. [2]

In 1684, an additional eleven members of the family in New Julfa converted to Catholicism. [2] Following this, the Scerimans became heralds of the Catholic faith in New Julfa, and were known as "great supporters" of the Vatican. [2] Conversion was certainly not without interests; as the Vatican profited from the Scerimans in the course of the 1680s (with the family still stationed in New Julfa), a papal bull was issued in 1696 which granted the Scerimans full Roman citizenship and trade-related privileges in numerous Italian cities, including Rome. [2] Shortly after 1684, then grand vizier Shaykh Ali Khan Zanganeh employed a son of Zachariah as his own private merchant. [9] In 1691, a chapel that had been built by the Jesuits in Isfahan in 1662 was enlarged with financial assistance from the Sceriman family. [10]

Further success

The Palazzo Zeno Manin Sceriman in Venice Lista di Spagna pal Zeno Manin Sceriman.JPG
The Palazzo Zeno Manin Sceriman in Venice

Further success came with the turn of the 18th century. In 1699, on the recommendation of the Papacy, Leopold I (r.1658–1705), then ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, granted the Scerimans titles of Counts in Hungary. [2] In the same year, based on a report sent to the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (Propaganda Fide) in Rome, it was evident that the Scerimans had some 50 servants and up to a 100 agents in the royal capital of Isfahan alone. [11] Around the same time, as a result of the loan given several years earlier, the Scerimans were given numerous privileges by the Senate of the Republic of Venice. [2] A climactic point was reached in the mid-18th century, as members of the family were raised to the class of nobility in numerous Italian city-states. Even though their efforts to join the Venetian Patriciate, which they had started in the early 18th century, did not succeed, they were well integrated in the ruling class of the Venetian Republic via marriage alliances with several noble Venetian families. [2] Their prestige as foreigners in the Venetian state was also increased by being well-integrated into the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. For example, Basilio, son of Gaspar Sceriman, was, according to D. Maxwell White, given the position of a monsignor and later even became governor of several administrative regions. [2] Another family member, Domenico Sceriman, became a bishop after being elected. [2] Around that time, family member David Sceriman was likely the richest Armenian in Livorno. [12] In the 1760s, another Sceriman in Venice, Zaccaria di Sceriman  [ it ] (whose mother was a Venetian noblewoman), would become a renowned writer and satirist. [2] [3]

Decline, inactivity and assessment

The Sceriman headquarters continued to function until the late 1790s in Venice and Livorno. Subsequently, their business fortunes diminished. In the first few years after moving the headquarters to Venice, the office was often in contact with its branch in New Julfa, as the latter was an integral part of the family's ventures. [2]

Even though the Scerimans enjoyed success abroad, it came at a costly price. [2] Their close alignment with the Catholics had alienated the family from the Armenian Church hierarchy at New Julfa. [13] Catholic Armenians were considered outsiders by Gregorian Armenians, and were dubbed Frangs (i.e. "Franks"). [13] Continued spending on matters related to the Catholic faith raised doubts among Safavid officials about the loyalty of the Armenian Catholics in the empire. [14] At the same time, the Gregorian Armenians lobbied inside and outside the court to incite measures against the Catholic Armenians. [14] In 1694, when anti-Catholic sentiments in New Julfa were at a high point, fueled by Shah Sultan Husayn (r.1694–1722), the family received most of the impact. [2] In 1698, burdened by fellow Armenians and increasing taxes, Khvajeh Gaspar and his family decided to settle in Venice. [15] [16] His older brother, Khvajeh Marcara, followed shortly after with his family. [16] Nevertheless, the Scerimans maintained a continuous presence in their ancestral New Julfa, as other Sceriman branches continued to live there. [2] The headquarters, however, were moved to Venice and Livorno, where several Sceriman members had settled. [2]

Even though the Scerimans are mostly known for their tight relations with the Safavids and later the Italian city-states and Austro-Hungary, they were also represented (especially through junior members), when needed, in Russia, India, the Netherlands, Burma, Spain, and Malacca. [2]

Sebouh Aslanian cites two reasons why maintaining the Julfa branch following the relocation was of extreme importance to the family. The first reason was that, traditionally, the most lucrative capital-generating markets for the family were in Southeastern Asia and India. [2] Hence, a well-located regional office in New Julfa was pivotal in connecting the Mediterranean ventures of the family with those of the gem market around the Indian Ocean. [2] The second reason was that, even though the Scerimans were eager to integrate and assimilate in Italy, they still were Julfan Armenians by origin, "at least as far as their trading habits were concerned". [2] The Scerimans were a calculating and strategizing group of individuals, who not only thought about their future enterprises, but were equally concerned about their situation in foreign lands. Even though they travelled far and wide, they remained bound to their original home in New Julfa through "language, personal relationships, or otherwise". [2]

See also

Notes

  1. "Venetianized spelling". [1]
  2. Also spelled "Murat di Sceriman". He was another son of Khvajeh Sarhat.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbas the Great</span> Shah of Safavid Iran from 1587 to 1629

Abbas I, commonly known as Abbas the Great, was the fifth Safavid shah of Iran from 1588 to 1629. The third son of Shah Mohammad Khodabanda, he is generally considered one of the most important rulers in Iranian history and the greatest ruler of the Safavid dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Julfa</span> Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran

New Julfa is the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, Iran, located along the south bank of the Zayanderud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suleiman I of Persia</span> Shah of Persia from 1666 to 1694

Suleiman I was the eighth Shah of Safavid Iran from 1666 to 1694. He was the eldest son of Abbas II and his concubine, Nakihat Khanum. Born as Sam Mirza, Suleiman spent his childhood in the harem among women and eunuchs and his existence was hidden from the public. In 1666, after the death of his father, the nineteen-year-old Sam Mirza was crowned king under the regnal name, Safi II, after his grandfather, Safi I. He had a troublesome reign as Safi II, which convinced his court astrologers that he should undergo a coronation once again. Thus, in 20 March 1668, simultaneously with Nowruz, he was crowned king with a new name, Suleiman I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbas II of Persia</span> Safavid Shah of Iran from 1642 to 1666

Abbas II was the seventh Shah of Safavid Iran, ruling from 1642 to 1666. As the eldest son of Safi and his Circassian wife, Anna Khanum, he inherited the throne when he was nine, and had to rely on a regency led by Saru Taqi, the erstwhile grand vizier of his father, to govern in his place. During the regency, Abbas received formal kingly education that, until then, he had been denied. In 1645, at age fifteen, he was able to remove Saru Taqi from power, and after purging the bureaucracy ranks, asserted his authority over his court and began his absolute rule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iranian Armenia (1502–1828)</span> Period when Eastern Armenia was part of the Iranian empire

From 1502 to 1828, during the early modern and late modern era, Eastern Armenia was part of the Iranian empire. Armenians have a history of being divided since the time of the Byzantine Empire and the Sassanid Empire, in the early 5th century. While the two sides of Armenia were sometimes reunited, this became a permanent aspect of the Armenian people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voskan Yerevantsi</span> Armenian book publisher (1614–1674)

Voskan Yerevantsi was one of the first Armenian book publishers during the years 1640–1666. He published the first Armenian Bible in Amsterdam in 1668, which is believed to be one of the best samples of old Armenian printing. His printing press was the longest-running Armenian publisher in the seventeenth century. It existed for 26 consecutive years in four different countries, printing nearly 40 works.

Simeon I of Yerevan or Simeon Yerevantsi was the Catholicos of All Armenians from 1763 to 1780. In 1771, he founded a printing press at the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, the first in Armenia. According to Rouben Paul Adalian, the pontificate of Simeon I of Yerevan marked the reemergence of Etchmiadzin as a "truly important center of Armenian national affairs".

Mohammad Beg, was a Muslim of Armenian origin, who served as the Grand Vizier of the Safavid king (shah) Abbas II from 1654 to 1661.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludvig Fabritius</span>

Ludvig (Lodewyck) Fabritius was the Swedish ambassador to Safavid Iran during the reign of King Charles XI and Charles XII. After an early career in the Russian army, he became a diplomat representing the Swedish crown. Fabritius led three missions to the Safavid court: in 1679–80, 1683–84, and 1697–1700. His efforts were characterized by the desire to establish a new transit route between Sweden and Iran through Russia, and several attempts to establish a fruitful alliance against the common enemy: the Ottoman Empire. Fabritius presented an invitation to the Safavid king from the Swedish king to join the Holy League, and was involved in the establishment of several Safavid-Swedish economic and trade agreements.

The sack of Shamakhi took place on 18 August 1721, when rebellious Sunni Lezgins, within the declining Safavid Empire, attacked the capital of Shirvan province, Shamakhi. The initially successful counter-campaign was abandoned by the central government at a critical moment and with the threat then left unchecked, Shamakhi was taken by 15,000 Lezgin tribesmen, its Shia population massacred, and the city ransacked.

Khvajeh Safar was an Armenian merchant and Safavid official, who served as the first mayor (kalāntar) of New Julfa, from 1605 until his death in 1618. He was of Armenian origin. A member of the influential Shafraz family, he was bestowed with the title by then incumbent king Abbas I in recognition of his father's rank of melik in Old Julfa, and his instant submission to Abbas I when the latter retook the area. The next three subsequent kalantars were all from Khvajeh Safar's family, while the last member of the family that held the post was Khvajeh Haikaz (1656-1660).

Aslamas Beg, also known as Aslan Khan, was a Safavid official and military commander of Georgian origin. A scion of the Orbeliani family, Aslamas was the second son of Vakhushti Khan, the former governor of Shushtar.

Hajji Piri or Khvajeh Piri or Agha Piri and later known as Mohammad Piri was an Armenian merchant and Safavid official. He served during the reign of King (Shah) Suleiman I as mayor (kalāntar) of New Julfa, and briefly as controller of the assay. He was also one of the wealthiest merchants in the Safavid state.

The Russo-Iranian treaty of 1717 was concluded in late July 1717 between the Tsardom of Russia and Safavid Iran. The treaty was facilitated by Russian ambassador Artemy Volynsky and Safavid Grand Vizier Fath-Ali Khan Daghestani. Incumbent Tsar Peter I ratified the treaty in July 1719. His Iranian counterpart, King (Shah) Sultan Husayn, ratified it in 1720. It was the first formal bilateral agreement between Iran and Russia.

Abgar was an Armenian in Safavid Iran who flourished during the reigns of Shah (King) Suleiman I and Shah Soltan Hoseyn. Originally a merchant, he later converted from Christianity to Shia Islam and took the name Abgar Ali Akbar Armani. Over time, he became estranged from the Armenian community, and increasingly associated with members of the Safavid clergy and later married into their families. He wrote a conversion narrative in Persian, the I'tirāf-nāma, which was conceived perhaps as a missionary tool, and for circulation among Armenian Christians. According to Alberto Tibrucio, this work "fills an important gap as a rare example of a testimony narrated from the perspective of a convert and portraying a voluntary conversion".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safavid–Venetian relations</span>

Safavid–Venetian relations were the relations between Safavid Iran and the Republic of Venice.

Anton Bogos Çelebi was an Armenian merchant magnate and Ottoman and later Tuscan official in 17th century. Gonfalonier of Livorno. He was a brother of Hasan Agha.

The Great Surgun was the forced deportation of the population from Eastern Armenia to the territory of the central and northern parts of Safavid Iran, which was carried out in 1604-1605 by the order of Shah Abbas the Great during the Ottoman–Safavid War (1603–1618).

From antiquity, Armenian merchants have played a pivotal role in transcontinental trade across Eurasia. Positioned strategically along the vital trade route linking Europe and Asia, Armenia's geographical advantage has sustained its centrality of international trade in the economic life of Armenians until the close of the early modern period. Armenians historically served as merchants at the crossroads of Central Asia, India, China, and the Mediterranean, facing persistent attacks from various quarters vying for control over the pivotal trade routes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matenadaran, folio 1g, doc. 1288</span> Persian decree

Matenadaran, folio 1g, doc. 1288 is a Persian decree (farman) stored in the Catholicosate Archive of the Matenadaran in Armenia. Issued by the Iranian ruler Nader Shah at the request of Armenian merchants from Agulis between December 1742 and January 1743, it is written in Shekasteh Nastaliq script. The decree addresses the taxes imposed on these merchants and the abuses and extortions carried out by Nader Shah's officials. Additionally, it provides a brief review of the historical context, particularly the economic conditions in Nader's empire, including Agulis. The decree was issued in response to a petition by Armenian merchants Hovhannes and Martiros.

References

  1. Aslanian 2011, p. 283.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 Aslanian & Berberian 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 Aslanian 2011, p. 153.
  4. 1 2 Aslanian 2011, p. 149.
  5. Aslanian 2011, p. 157.
  6. 1 2 Matthee 2012, p. 189.
  7. 1 2 Aslanian 2011, p. 150.
  8. Matthee 2012, p. 190.
  9. Matthee 2015.
  10. Matthee 2008, pp. 634–638.
  11. Aslanian 2011, p. 158.
  12. Trivellato 2011, p. 120.
  13. 1 2 Kostikyan 2012, p. 374.
  14. 1 2 Matthee 2012, p. 194.
  15. Matthee 2012, p. 254.
  16. 1 2 Aslanian 2011, p. 151.

Sources