The Academy of Persian Language and Persianate Culture
Reading Persian in South Asia:
Cross-Cultural Encounters and Intellectual Histories
Peyman Eshaghi
Course Description
This course explores the "Long 18th Century" and the preceding eras of Indo-Persian excellence through a lens of social and spiritual history. While the Mughal throne provided the patronage, the soul of South Asian Persian resided in the khanqahs (Sufi lodges), the libraries of regional governors, and the translation bureaus where Persian met Sanskrit, Hindavi, and Pashto.
Students will move beyond the "official" history of the Akbarnama to look at how ordinary and extraordinary people lived, prayed, and wrote. We will examine how Persian functioned not just as a language of power, but as a language of "Universal Civility" (akhlaq) and deep mystical yearning.
Prerequisites & Language of Instruction
Intermediate reading knowledge of Persian is recommended. Urdu/Hindi is not required. The language of instruction is English; Persian is used in textual work.
Required & Recommended Materials (provided as excerpts):
First week:
The Etiquette of War and Bravery, Fakhr-i Mudabbir
آداب الحرب و الشجاعة، فخر مدبر
Second week:
Lives of the Saints, Amir Khwurd
سیر الاولیاء، امیر خورد
Third week:
The Epistles of Mahru, 'Ain al-Din 'Ain al-Mulk Multani
انشای ماهرو، عینالملک ملتانی
Fourth week:
The Memoirs of Babur (Persian Translation), Mirza 'Abdur Rahim Khan-i Khanan
واقعات بابری، میرزا عبدالرحیم خان خانان
Fifth week:
The Confidant of Spirits, Jahanara Begum
مونس الارواح، جهانآرا بیگم
Sixth week:
The Epistle of Victory, Guru Gobind Singh
ظفرنامه، گورو گوبیند سینگ
Seventh week:
The Four Elements, Mirza 'Abdul-Qadir Bedil Dehlavi
چهار عنصر، میرزا عبدالقادر بیدل دهلوی
Eighth week:
The Spring of Persia, Tek Chand Bahar
بهار عجم، تیک چند بهار
Ninth week:
The Wonder-Book of Europe, Mirza I'tisam-ud-Din
شگرفنامه ولایت، میرزا اعتصامالدین
Tenth week:
Five Melodies, Mirza Ghalib
پنج آهنگ، میرزا اسدالله خان غالب
Eleventh week:
The Message of the East, Muhammad Iqbal
پیام مشرق، محمد اقبال
Twelfth week:
The Book of Eternity, Muhammad Iqbal
جاویدنامه، محمد اقبال
Course Details
Schedule: Mondays, 22 June - 7 September, 2026
Time: 9:00–10:00 AM (US Pacific), 12:00–1:00 PM (US Eastern), 6:00–7:00 PM (Central European)
Format: 12 online sessions
Tuition: $300 (payable in installments)
Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials.