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This seminar is concerned with Persian historical writing and documentary sources for the study of the history and culture of greater Iran during the medieval Islamic period. Selected excerpts from …
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The political, religious, and cultural history of greater Iran from pre-Islamic times to the early modern era. Following an overview of the history of the Sasanian empire, the course traces the …
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The course focuses on the Persian treatises (rasa’il), or “visionary tales,” of Shihab al-Din Yahya Suhravardi (d. 1191), known as Shaikh al-Ishraq. It examines the philosophical and cosmological …
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An introduction to medieval Persian codicology, including the technical terminology used in the study of manuscripts; paleographical issues, such as script styles and dating; textual criticism and …
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Critical reading and analysis of selected passages from the Masnavi-i ma‘navi of Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273), arguably the greatest Islamic mystical poet, whose masterwork achieved near-canonical …
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An introduction to the poetic imagery and symbolism of Persian Sufism, with selected readings from the great mystical poets of the 11th–15th centuries, such as Sana’i, ‘Attar, Rumi, and Jami. …