The Making of Persianate Modernity: Language and Literary History between Iran and India

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Persian was the pre-eminent language of learning in Iran and South Asia, but nationalism and the Persianate world fractured into nation-states. Alexander Jabbari explores how Iranians and South Asians drew from their shared past to produce a Persianate modernity and create a modern genre, literary history. He highlights the role of South Asian Muslims in developing Iranian intellectual and literary trends and charts a new way forward for area studies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 260 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2023
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Persian, the pre-eminent language of learning for centuries, held swaying influence far beyond Iran, spanning from the Balkans to China. In his book, Alexander Jabbari delves into the fate of this vast Persian literary heritage in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, particularly in Iran and South Asia, as nationalism gained momentum and the Persianate world fragmented into nation-states. Jabbari explores how Iranians and South Asians drew upon their shared past to forge a Persianate modernity, giving rise to a distinct literary genre and historical narrative. By drawing from Persian and Urdu sources, Jabbari unveils the significant contributions of South Asian Muslims to the development of Iranian intellectual and literary trends. He highlights cultural exchange within the region and the agency of Asian modernizers, charting a new path for area studies and offering intriguing perspectives on language and literature.

Persian, the pre-eminent language of learning for centuries, held swaying influence far beyond Iran, spanning from the Balkans to China. In his book, Alexander Jabbari delves into the fate of this vast Persian literary heritage in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, particularly in Iran and South Asia, as nationalism gained momentum and the Persianate world fragmented into nation-states. Jabbari explores how Iranians and South Asians drew upon their shared past to forge a Persianate modernity, giving rise to a distinct literary genre and historical narrative. By drawing from Persian and Urdu sources, Jabbari unveils the significant contributions of South Asian Muslims to the development of Iranian intellectual and literary trends. He highlights cultural exchange within the region and the agency of Asian modernizers, charting a new path for area studies and offering intriguing perspectives on language and literature.

ISBN-13: 9781009320863