Turkish Language in Iran (from the Ghaznavid Empire to the end of the Safavid Dynasty)

It is well known that throughout history Persians and Turks have been collecting within the same nation in states of peace and war and creating empires under the names of various dynasties. There are many sources giving evidence to the fact that Turks lived and ruled in these lands. In the article we will give information about the status of the Turkish language exclusively during the period of time from the Ghaznavid Empire until the end of the Safavid Empire. Beginning by the Ghaznavid government in 961, in later centuries the Kharazms, Seljuks, Teymuris, Elkhans, Aq Koyunlus, Kara Koyunlus, and in the final period of our discussion, the Savafi Turks, large and strong states were built in large territories of Iran. Because these governments were Turkish, they spread their own cultures and languages through the region. Likewise, the Turks in Iran expended great efforts to teach their own cultures to the peoples living in these lands. The same situation is even more clearly visible in the Safavid era which followed the Aq Koyunlu and Kara Koyunlu periods. The Turkish language, which is in available manuscripts written after the 13th century, began to spread even more in the lands of Iran after the 14th century and began to be used as an official language along with Persian during the Safavid Empire. Turkish letters and documents prove that only Turkish was dominant in the palace and army. On the basis of these documents, we will give detailed information about the situation of the Turkish language in the territory of Iran.