Persian Studies Utrecht University

07/10/2026

05/10/2026

Join us on Thursday 22 October for the Gholam Reza Nikpay Annual Lecture, hosted by the Iranian History Initiative.

This year we welcome Professor Abbas Amanat who delivers his talk “Anxious Onlookers: Qajar Iran and European Imperial Expansion (1797-1812)”.

In a short span of fifteen years the lands between Nile and Ganges were invaded by three European imperial armies: Britain, France and Russia. Caught between two rival powers, Qajar Iran had little choice but to try to strike a balance between Russia in the north and Britain in the south.

In this talk Professor Abbas Amanat will argue that even the idea of a regional alliance, as proposed by Tipu Soltan of Mysore at the very end of the 18th century, could not persuade Fath Ali Shah Qajar to change course. As an anxious observer, the tragic fall of Mysore convinced him not to entertain ambitions beyond his means. Two rounds of disastrous wars with Russia further proved the point. Strategically vulnerable and with limited economic and human resources, maintaining a fragile status quo seemed to be the safest, if not the only, option for preserving Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

To register for this event, please visit the Events page on our website (see link in our bio) and follow the link for this event.

26/09/2026

The Great Mongol Shahnama, Robert Hillenbrand’s definitive study of one of the most significant illustrated manuscripts of the medieval Islamic world. I recommend this book if you are into Shahnama studies and a student of Ilkhanid painting school.

Produced in Tabriz c. 1320–1336 under the Ilkhanids, the manuscript represents a remarkable synthesis of Persian literary culture and the diverse visual traditions of the Mongol world. Its sumptuous paintings, monumental compositions, and sophisticated use of colour mark a pivotal moment in the development of Persian manuscript painting.

Dispersed in the early twentieth century, its surviving folios are now preserved in collections across the world. Hillenbrand’s monograph brings these dispersed masterpieces together, examining their artistic, historical, and material significance.

ManuscriptPainting MiniaturePainting PersianArt

08/09/2026

Join us on Thursday 22 October for the Gholam Reza Nikpay Annual Lecture, hosted by the Iranian History Initiative.

This year we welcome Professor Abbas Amanat who delivers his talk “Anxious Onlookers: Qajar Iran and European Imperial Expansion (1797-1812)”.

In a short span of fifteen years the lands between Nile and Ganges were invaded by three European imperial armies: Britain, France and Russia. Caught between two rival powers, Qajar Iran had little choice but to try to strike a balance between Russia in the north and Britain in the south.

In this talk Professor Abbas Amanat will argue that even the idea of a regional alliance, as proposed by Tipu Soltan of Mysore at the very end of the 18th century, could not persuade Fath Ali Shah Qajar to change course. As an anxious observer, the tragic fall of Mysore convinced him not to entertain ambitions beyond his means. Two rounds of disastrous wars with Russia further proved the point. Strategically vulnerable and with limited economic and human resources, maintaining a fragile status quo seemed to be the safest, if not the only, option for preserving Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Visit the below link to register for this event:

https://www.lse.ac.uk/international-history/events/public-events/2026/anxious-onlookers-qajar-iran-and-european-imperial-expansion-1797-1812-the-gholam-reza-nikpay-annual-lecture

28/08/2026

24/08/2026

تازه های نشر ایرانشناسی:

شعر کلاسیک کردی به مثابه ادبیات جهانی: «مم و زین» احمد خانی و سلطه ادبی فارسی
(Classical Kurdish Poetry as World Literature: Ehmede Xani’s Mem u Zin and Persian Literary Domination)
✍️ نویسنده: میشل لیزنبرگ (Michiel Leezenberg)

🏢 درباره کتاب:
اثر حماسی و عاشقانه «مم و زین»، سروده احمد خانی در سده هفدهم میلادی، همواره در میان کتاب‌خوانان کُرد به عنوان حماسه ملی شناخته شده است، اما پژوهشگران ادبی توجه بسیار کمی به آن داشته‌اند. این پژوهش تحلیلی دقیق و موشکافانه از شاهکار خانی ارائه می‌دهد و تلاش می‌کند آن را از محدودیت‌های مفهومی و هنجارین ناسیونالیسم مدرن کُردی که معمولاً از منظر آن خوانش می‌شود، رها سازد.
🔗 لینک اطلاعات بیشتر و تهیه کتاب:

https://lup.nl/publications/middle-eastern-and-islamic-studies/iranian-studies/classical-kurdish-poetry-as-world-literature/

————————————
با ما در ایرانشناسی همراه باشید:
🔹توییتر | لینکدین | اینستاگرام | یوتیوب | بله🔹

21/08/2026

21/08/2026

20/08/2026