| Sam Mirza | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of Sam Mirza in a copied manuscript of The Divan of Hafez, made by Soltan Mohammad in c. 1527 | |
| Governor of Herat | |
| 1st tenure | 1521–1530 |
| Predecessor | Ebrahim Soltan Khan Mowsellu |
| Successor | Bahram Mirza Safavi |
| Guardian | Durmish Khan Shamlu Hoseyn Khan Shamlu |
| 2nd tenure | 1533–1536 |
| Predecessor | Bahram Mirza Safavi |
| Successor | Khalifeh Soltan Shamlu |
| Guardian | Aghzivar Khan Shamlu |
| Born | 1517 Iran |
| Died | 1566/67 Qahqaheh Castle, Iran |
| Spouse | Daughter of Hoseyn Khan Shamlu |
| Issue | Rostam Mirza Unnamed daughter |
| Dynasty | Safavid |
| Father | Ismail I |
| Mother | Unnamed Georgian woman |
| Religion | Twelver Shia Islam |
| Writing career | |
| Language | Persian |
| Notable works | Tohfa-ye Sami |
Sam Mirza (Persian: سام میرزا; 1517 – 1566/67) was a Safavid prince and poet in 16th-century Iran, who wrote the Tohfa-ye Sami ("Gift of Sam"), a collection of biographies of contemporary Persian poets. He was the third son of Shah Ismail I (r. 1501–1524), the founder of the Safavid dynasty.
Sam Mirza was appointed governor of Herat (in present-day Afghanistan) during his early years, following the tradition of educating Safavid princes by assigning them governorships under the supervision of experienced amir of the Qizilbash. During his time in Herat, he witnessed the remnants of the zenith of Persian culture from the reign of the Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Bayqara (r. 1469–1506), but also became entangled in the political struggles of his Qizilbash guardians.
After an unsuccessful military campaign against the Mughal city of Kandahar in 1534, which resulted in significant losses and the fall of Herat to the Uzbeks from the Khanate of Bukhara, Sam Mirza's political career was effectively ended, despite his attempts to apologize to his suzerain and brother Shah Tahmasp I (r. 1524–1576). Although he was sidelined from political affairs, he remained a respected figure at court, and it was during this time that he wrote the Tohfa-ye Sami. The work reflects his deep engagement with Persian literature and his desire to highlight the role of poetry across various social classes and locations. He also composed a divan (collection of poems), of which only a few verses have survived.
In 1561/62, he was imprisoned in Qahqaheh Castle for an alleged political conspiracy and died there during an earthquake in 1566/67. He was survived by his daughter, who was married to Isa Khan Gorji.