Islamic dynasties have risen, flourished, decayed and fallen. This is the standard cycle of history. Here we have a thorough analysis of how the once-glorious Safavid dynasty of Persia (Iran) declined and fell. One can play the game of asking, "If I had been the Shah, what would I have done to avert decline-and-fall?" But it seems that there is no special trick that could prevent the cycle of history from repeating itself.