During the period following Shah Abbas’s reign, culminating in the decline of the Safavid dynasty by 1722, the territory governed by this empire was referred to as “Mamalek-e Mahruseh,” which translates to “Protected Domains” or “Enclosed Countries.” This nomenclature, variants of which included “Khosravani’s Enclosed Countries” and “Humayun’s Enclosed Countries,” signifies the Safavid rulers’ conceptualization of their realm as a guarded and sovereign territory. Documentary evidence, particularly from the era of Shah Sultan Hossein—the last effective Safavid ruler before the Afghan invasion led to the dynasty’s collapse—demonstrates the prevalent use of these terms in official correspondences and state documents. This linguistic practice underscores the dynastic branding of territorial governance, distinct from the modern nation-state concept associated with “Iran” today.