The geographical importance of darband and its role in the relations between Russia and Iran in the safavid era

Darband, as one of the coastal towns along the Caspian Sea and as part of Caucasus region, played an important role in the political developments of this country. The city, after the complete conquest of Caucasus by Shah Ismail I was supervised by Shervan ruler, but after the outbreak of Shervan ruler and the creation of Bigla Beigi in Shervan, Darband got a better position in Safavid government. Darband, not only in the Safavid era, but also from the ancient time, because of its proximity to Northern Dagestan and the nomadic people, was known to be as gate entry to Caucasus, Aran, and Iran. Darband, in Safavid era, in addition to its strategic situation as a border town, was religiously a center for Shia Qizilbash to move there. This city was also on the way of silk trade of Caucasian and Guilan, and the traders exchanged their goods through this port with Russia and other places. First Safavid Kings, because of the importance of this city in the the Safavid offi cial system, had realized its worth, but in the late Safavid period, Darband faced with a lot of invasions by Daghestan, the Kazakhs, and other tribes; thus, its people, and in the centre of it businessmen and merchants welcome the arrival of Peter the Great and gave the city to him. The occupation of this city by Peter the Great was one of the main reasons of his progress in Guilan