HIST 585A - History of the Iranian Plateau: Authority, Religion, and Literature, 633-1501

This course examines the history of the Iranian plateau from the rise and spread of Islam until the establishment of the Safavid Empire (1501). Thematically, it focuses on the impact of geography and the environment on social and political history; the conversion and Islamicization of local populations; the proliferation of communities and institutions of Islamic knowledge; the development of Persian Sufi literature and brotherhoods; state legitimization through the patronage of literature, court chronicles, and art; the rise of Shi`i messianic movements; and the role of women at court and in society. This course examines the history of the Iranian plateau from the rise and spread of Islam until the establishment of the Safavid Empire (1501). Thematically, it focuses on the impact of geography and the environment on social and political history; the conversion and Islamicization of local populations; the proliferation of communities and institutions of Islamic knowledge; the development of Persian Sufi literature and brotherhoods; state legitimization through the patronage of literature, court chronicles, and art; the rise of Shi`i messianic movements; and the role of women at court and in society. Graduate-level requirements include a final paper 20-25 pages including 15-20 sources. You are expected to write a historiographical paper that engages seriously with the secondary literature.