The present dissertation seeks to present and analyze the hitherto poorly understood first encounter between the Ottoman Empire and the Tsardom of Muscovy in the North Caucasus from the Muscovites’ annexation of the nearby Khanate of Astrakhan in 1556 and subsequent penetration into this region, to their expulsion from it by the Ottomans in 1605. The study relies on both Ottoman and Muscovite sources, both documentary and narrative, as well as archival and published. The main archival documentary sources are the Ottoman mühimme defters (registers of orders issued by the Imperial Council [Divan-i Hümayun]) and the Muscovite posol’skie knigi (registers of diplomatic documentation, including ambassadorial reports, diplomatic correspondence, and other documents administered by the Ambassadorial Office [Posol’skii Prikaz]). The main narrative sources are sixteenth-century Ottoman and Muscovite chronicles. On the basis of the Ottoman and Muscovite documentary sources it is possible to determine what Ottoman and Muscovite policies in the North Caucasus were, to what degree they were well-formulated, and how they evolved during the aforementioned time period. It becomes clear that Ottoman and Muscovite policies in the Pontic-Caspian steppes and specifically in the North Caucasus had some superficial similarities, but were in essence fundamentally different. Taking into account that it was only after Muscovy’s expansion into the North Caucasus that the Ottomans decided to take an active stand in the north, the dissertation also shows the ways in which Muscovite steppe policy not only affected the political structures on the frontiers but also influenced Ottoman northern policy, and specifically in the North Caucasus. However, this dissertation is not solely a study of an imperial rivalry in a contested frontier zone. The Ottoman and Muscovite involvement brought about changes to the internal dynamics of the polities within the North Caucasus. Lastly, during the first round of this imperial clash, Ottoman and Muscovite presence and sway in the North Caucasus underwent several extreme and unexpected shifts. These shifts and resulting new strategies that the Ottomans and Muscovites had to develop in the North Caucasus played an important role in their future encounters in the northern Black Sea region.

Cette thèse porte sur la formation et l’évolution de la monarchie safavide en Iran entre le XVIe et le premier quart du XVIIIe siècle. Elle étudie en particulier les rapports entretenus entre le pouvoir monarchique et les différents groupes qui composent le sommet de la hiérarchie sociale et curiale, comme les clientèles qizilbashs. L’avènement de la monarchie safavide étant contemporain de la montée en puissance des États modernes en Europe, cette recherche s’intéresse également au regard que l’« honnête homme » du XVIIe siècle porte sur ce processus de construction étatique. Cette approche est fondée sur l’analyse du cadre des échanges diplomatiques entre États, mais aussi sur la rencontre individuelle entre les Européens et les représentants de l’élite safavide, à travers une étude des récits de voyageurs (relations d’ambassade et de voyage). Elle invite à réfléchir sur la manière dont s’élabore la réflexion sur l’État moderne et sur les comportements qui s’y rapportent. / This thesis is about the start and the evolution of the Safavid Monarchy in Iran between the 16th century and the first quarter of the 18th century. It studies, in particular, the links between the monarchial power and the different groups at the head of the social and parish hierarchy, such as the qizilbash followers. Given the fact that the advent of the Safavid Monarchy is contemporary with the rise of the Modern States in Europe, this research also studies the point of view of the « good man » of the 17th century about this process of state construction. This approach is based on the context analysis of the diplomatic exchanges between the States, but also of the individual meeting between the European and the Safavid elite representatives, throughout the study of stories of travelers (embassy and travel relations). This study is an invitation to think about the way the Modern State and its behavior reflection are built.