Question

The following primary source is

a description by a Carmelite missionary who visited the

Persia court in 1604. He records his observations of

Shah Abbas the Great. How does Abbas differentiate

his leadership style from that of Christian rulers?

Passage: “He is sagacious in mind, likes the fame, and
to be esteemed: he is courteous in dealing with
everyone and at the same time very serious. For
he will go through the public streets, eat from
what they are selling there and. . . speak at ease
freely with the lower classes. . .or will sit down
beside this man or that. He says that is how to
be a king, and that the king of Spain and other
Christians do not get any pleasure out of ruling,
because they are obliged to comport themselves
with so much pomp and majesty as they do.”
—A Chronicle of the Carmelites in Persia

Answer 1

According to the excerpt, Abbas differentiates his leadership style from that of Christian rulers by making time to meet and spend time with his subjects. He gets to know them regardless of social standing. Abbas regards Christian rulers as unhappy, self absorbed, pompous, and majestic nobles who do not truly care about their people.