1. Prelude to the conquest
2. Like a burning sun: Shah Isma`il I (1501-1524)
3. The years of war: Shah Tahmasp at Tabriz (1524-1555)
4. A new capital and new patrons: Shah Tahmasp at Qazvin (1555-1576)
5. The lowest ebb: Shahs Isma`il II and Muhammad Khudabandeh (1576-1587)
6. From Qazvin to Isfahan: the glorious reign of Shah `Abbas I (1587-1629)
7. A voluptuous interlude: Shah Safi (1629-1642)
8. A new focus: Shah `Abbas II (1642-1666)
9. The patrimony squandered: Shah Sulayman (Safi II, 1666-1694)
10. Disintegration of the dynasty: Shah Sultan Husayn (1694-1722)
Epilogue: The Safivid legacy
