▁In ▁ 1 7 3 6 , ▁he ▁de posed ▁the ▁Saf av ids ▁and ▁became ▁king ▁himself , ▁establish ing ▁the ▁Af sh ar id ▁dynast y . ▁ ▁M int ▁The ▁provincial ▁capital , ▁E riv an , ▁hous ed ▁an ▁important ▁Saf avid ▁mint . ▁It ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁few ▁Saf avid ▁m ints , ▁alongside ▁the ▁ones ▁at ▁Tab riz ▁and ▁T if lis ▁( T bil isi ), ▁where ▁re - m int ing ▁took ▁place . ▁ ▁Station ed ▁Saf avid ▁force ▁The ▁E riv an ▁Province ▁was ▁of ▁high ▁importance ▁to ▁the ▁Saf av ids , ▁partly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁it ▁border ed ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁The ▁French ▁mission ary ▁and ▁trav eller ▁P ère ▁S anson , ▁who ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁Saf avid ▁Empire ▁during ▁the ▁latter ▁part ▁of ▁King ▁S ule iman ▁I ' s ▁reign ▁( 1 6 6 6 – 1 6 9 4 ), ▁wrote ▁that ▁some ▁ 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁Saf avid ▁troops ▁were ▁station ed ▁in ▁the ▁E riv an ▁Province . ▁ ▁Relig ious ▁and ▁eth nic ▁affili ation ▁Muslim s ▁constit uted ▁major ities ▁in ▁the ▁province , ▁whereas ▁eth nic ▁Armen ians ▁were ▁a ▁minor ity . ▁Until ▁the ▁mid - four teenth ▁century , ▁Armen ians ▁had ▁constit uted ▁a ▁majority ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Armen ia . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁close ▁of ▁the ▁four teenth ▁century , ▁after ▁Tim ur ' s ▁campaign s , ▁Islam ▁had ▁become