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The article discusses the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, with a focus on the Armenian community, which had non-Muslim dhimmi status, in the region of Eastern Anatolia and the Southern Caucausus region. Topics include research on the every day life and character of religious communities on the edges of the Ottoman Empire, analysis of religious, ethnic, and linguistic diversity in the region during the 16th and 17th centuries, and the impact on communities in the region of being situated between the Persian Safavid Dynasty and the Ottoman Empire.

The article outlines the history of relations between the Safavid state and its dhimmı minorities. Important policies derived from and peculiar to Ithna 'Asharı doctrine are also discussed as well as the importance of the ruler's discretion in the application and enforcement of the policies within the region. Particular attention is paid to the period of rule under 'Abbās I in which multiculturalism and tolerance were prevalent throughout the kingdom. The more hostile relations of the state to its non-Muslim minorities before and after 'Abbās I's reign are attributed to the eventual decline of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]