with
Supriya Gandhi, Department of Religious Studies, Yale University
Alan Mikhail, Department of History, Yale University
Steven Pincus, Department of History, Yale University
Kishwar Rizvi, Department of the History of Art, Yale University
Abbas Amanat, Department of History, Yale University
Round Table: Conceptualizing a Persianate Oecumene in the Early Modern Period
In light of the lectures delivered by Prof. Subhramaniyam, this discussion will consider the contours of a Persianate sphere of mobility and exchange in the early modern and modern periods. While the concept of a Persianate oecumene has gained salience since it was introduced by Marshall Hodgson, it has yet to be adequately considered from a comparative perspective, and in reference to other contemporary world systems. This discussion will consider the viability of the concept, and its forms and features from within and outside of the field of Iranian and South Asian studies.
The discussion aims to draw parallels between the Persianate and other contemporary zones of circulation and connectivity, notably the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Indian Ocean circulation regimes, and European imperial domains. Are there any shared features between these networks? To what degree does language factor into defining other contemporary spheres. What are the key areas of encounter between the Persianate and other contemporary zones?