All of the following were true of safavid iran except it had to trade with europe through southern russia, since the europeans controlled the seas to the south and the ottomans controlled the lands to the west. its wealth was much greater than its neighbors, the mughal and ottoman empires. it maintained a respectable level of thought and learning in philosophy, science, medicine, and mathematics. it contained large minority populations, though most of the population was of iranian background. it produced many items that were in high demand in many other parts of the world.