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 introduces students to the vibrant corpus of Persian texts produced in South Asia between the 13th and 18th centuries—a literary, intellectual, and spiritual world where Persian served as the dominant language of historiography, poetry, philosophy, and governance. Through close reading of primary sources in Persian (with English guidance) and critical discussion, students will explore how Persian literary and scholarly traditions were reimagined in the Indian context.
The course traces the evolution of Indo-Persian writing from the early Delhi Sultanate to the late Mughal period, beginning with Amīr Khusraw’s poetic and historical masterpieces and culminating in the theological and aesthetic reflections of Shah Walīullāh Dehlawī. Texts will include royal chronicles (Akbarnāma, Muntakhab al-Tawārīkh, Tārīkh-i Firishta), translations of Sanskrit epics (Rāmāyana-yi Fārsī), mystical and theological works (Maktūbāt-i Imām Rabbānī), comparative and encyclopedic writings (Dabistān-i Mazāhib), and treatises on art and exegesis (Tohfa-ye Dorud, al-Fawz al-Kabīr fī Uṣūl al-Tafsīr).
By engaging these diverse genres—chronicles, poetry, letters, religious polemics, and artistic manuals—students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Indo-Persian intellectual tradition as a space of translation, synthesis, and creativity. The course will also address broader questions: How did Persian become a shared medium for Muslims, Hindus, and others in South Asia? How did imperial power, spirituality, and aesthetics intersect in Persian writing? What does it mean to read “Persian” texts as “South Asian” cultural artifacts?
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):
Week 1 – Khazāʾin al-Futūḥ (Tārīkh-i ʿAlāʾī), Amīr Khusraw Dihlavī (c. 1253–1325)
A historical chronicle describing the reign and conquests of ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn Khaljī. Written in Delhi in the early 14th century, it glorifies the sultan’s campaigns and displays Khusraw’s poetic eloquence. The work stands among the earliest Persian models of Indo-Muslim imperial historiography.
Week 2 – Khamsa-yi Amīr Khusraw Dihlavī, Amīr Khusraw Dihlavī (c. 1253–1325).
A collection of five narrative mas̱navīs modeled on Niẓāmī’s Khamsa, including Qirān al-Saʿdayn, Nuh Sipihr, and Tughluq-nāma. Composed in Delhi, these poems celebrate love, kingship, and divine wisdom. They mark the integration of Persian poetic tradition into the Indian cultural sphere.
Week 3 – Akbarnāma, Abū’l-Faẓl ʿAllāmī (1551–1602).
The official court chronicle of Akbar authored by his grand vizier. It unites factual narrative with philosophical discussions on rulership and ethics. Its companion, the Āʾīn-i Akbarī, functions as an encyclopaedia of Mughal civilization.
Week 4 – Muntakhab al-Tawārīkh, ʿAbd al-Qādir Badāʾūnī (c. 1540–1615).
A critical history of Akbar’s reign written from a skeptical scholar’s viewpoint. It contrasts the emperor’s policies with orthodox ideals and records his translation projects. The chronicle provides a counter-voice to Abū’l-Faẓl’s glorified narrative.
Week 5 – Rāmāyana-yi Fārsī, ʿAbd al-Qādir Badāʾūnī (c. 1540–1615).
The earliest Persian translation of the Hindu Rāmāyaṇa prepared at Akbar’s command. It reflects the court’s fascination with Indian epics and the emperor’s vision of inclusive kingship. Badāʾūnī’s version inaugurated a long Indo-Persian engagement with Sanskrit literature.
Week 6 – Tārīkh-i Firishta (Gulshan-i Ibrāhīmī), Muḥammad Qāsim Hindūshāh Astarābādī known as Firishta (c. 1560–1620).
A comprehensive history of Indian Muslim dynasties, especially the Deccan sultanates. Composed in Bijapur, it shaped historical understanding for centuries. Firishta’s even-handed tone and broad scope made it a standard Persian authority.
Week 7 – Maktūbāt-i Imām Rabbānī Sirhindī, Aḥmad Sirhindī (1564–1624).
A collection of over five hundred letters addressing theology, mysticism, and reform. Written in Persian, they aim to reconcile Sufism with Sharīʿa principles. The Maktūbāt laid the doctrinal foundation for the Naqshbandī-Mujaddidī order.
Week 8 – Majālis-i Jahāngīrī, ʿAbd al-Sattār ibn Qāsim Lahorī (c. 1614–1618).
Records of fifty court gatherings where Jahāngīr discussed philosophy, ethics, and faith. They portray the emperor’s intellectual curiosity and tolerance. The work complements the Tuzuk by adding an observer’s perspective to the royal self-portrait.
Week 9 – Kalim Kāshānī (qaṣāʾid, ghazals, mathnawīs), Kalim Kāshānī (d. 1651).
A leading poet of early 17th-century Mughal India known for refined style and imagery. His work blends Persian lyricism with Indian motifs. Through his ghazals and qaṣāʾid, he shaped the mature expression of Mughal Persian poetry.
Week 10 – Dabistān-i Mazāhib, anonymous (often attributed to Muḥsin Fānī Kāshmīrī, fl. mid-17th century).
An encyclopaedic survey of religions and philosophical sects across Mughal India. It documents Muslims, Hindus, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, and heterodox thinkers with rare impartiality. Its ethnographic approach makes it a cornerstone of Indo-Persian comparative thought.
Week 11 – Tohfa-ye Dorud, Muḥammad Maʿnīm Ṣiddīqī (fl. 1708–1709).
A Persian treatise on the theory and practice of calligraphy. It describes scripts, inks, instruments, and the spiritual virtues of the art. The Tohfa mirrors the refined aesthetics of post-Mughal artistic culture.
Week 12 – al-Fawz al-Kabīr fī Uṣūl al-Tafsīr, Shah Walīullāh Dehlawī (1703–1762).
An Arabic manual on the principles of Qurʾānic interpretation. It classifies the sciences of tafsīr and seeks harmony between reason and revelation. The text remains foundational for later South Asian approaches to Qurʾānic hermeneutics.
Course Details
Schedule: Mondays, 26 January 2026 – 6 April 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 3 installments)
Notes:
Class days and times may be adjusted in accordance with the request of enrollees.
Registered participants will receive full access to recorded session videos and all course materials.
Registration link: https://forms.gle/4DJhsMC9b8EQpUGu6