Question

Which factor played a role in the decline of the Safavid empire

Answer 1

This is not my original answer, but...

The Safavid Empire would face a faster decline than the Ottomans. Shah Abbas 1 would kill his sons, and blind alot of men, in a greedy attempt to stay on the throne. When Abbas 2 comes over to rule the Safavids, the empire was already declining, both bureaucratically and authoritatively.

The Safavids also experienced an invasion by Afghani tribes, who turned the Safavid empire into their battleground.