Anthony Jenkinson’s Original Map as a Source on the History of the Safavid Empire

Abstract

This article examines the map called “Nova absolutaque Russiae, Moscoviae, et Tartariae descriptio” published in London in 1562 the author of which was a famous trader, diplomat and Queen Elizabeth I Tudor̓s official ambassador to the Safavid Empire Anthony Jenkinson. Although the original version of the map was found in 1987 and since that time a number of works concerning Anglo-Safavid relations was published, so far this map has not been the object of special study as the source of the Safavid Empire and particularly Anglo-Safavid relations in both domestic and western historiography. An attempt is being taken for the first time to study Jenkinsonʼs map as an historical source on the Safavid Empire. Jenkinson’s map is unique in that it is not only the most ancient and first visual representation of the Safavid Empire in English sources, but it also influenced the further development of the European cartography and became an integral part of the first modern geographical atlas in the world “Theatrum Orbis Terranum” by Abraham Ortelius (1570) and Gerardus Mercatorʼs world map (1572). The map is of exceptional value and importance for the history of cartography of Russia, Azerbaijan, England and the countries of Central Asia. Special attention was paid to the map’s issues of dating and authorship. Detailed analysis of the mapʼs southern segment revealed that this map may serve as the valuable source of military, historical, geopolitical, geographical, toponymical, religious, ethnographical and partly economical history of the Safavid Empire, as well as on the history of Anglo-Safavid relations.