Reception, Display, And Representation: Exotic Animals In Early Modern Istanbul
Özet
Among the animal gifts exchanged between Safavids, Mughals, and Ottomans, exotic animals played an important part. Rulers of these empires were keen on collecting exotic animals in their royal menageries. [Ahmad Guliyev, “A Brother’s Portion’: Regifted and Requested Items in Safavid-Mughal Diplomatic Gift Exchanges,” Acta Orientalia (August 2024), p. 3] Th e paper aims to explore how various exotic animals from Safavid and Mughal lands were viewed and conceived in Istanbul. Th e ‘regifting’ phenomenon in Safavid-Ottoman gift exchanges, including the role of the Safavids in the circulation of Indian animals has been largely understudied. We will explore how the animals of Indian origin circulated as diplomatic gifts from the Safavid shahs to the Ottoman court.
