We are thrilled to announce the launch of “Iran and Persian Studies Dissertation Reviews,” which will bring you friendly, non-critical overviews of recently defended, unpublished dissertations from Iran and Persian Studies. Like all the other series on this website, “Iran and Persian Studies” will feature reviews and guides for archives, libraries and collections around the world. If you are interested in reviewing for the new series, having your dissertation reviewed, contributing a “Fresh from the Archives” or “Talking Shop” article, or helping out in some other way, please contact assef.ashraf@dissertationreviews.org.
Introducing Our New Field Editor
Assef Ashraf is a PhD candidate in the Department of History at Yale University. His dissertation, “From Khan to Shah: The Rise of a Qajar Political and Court Culture in Iran, 1785-1848,” examines the efforts by early Qajar rulers to consolidate their power through kinship ties, marriage alliances, and patronage of the arts. More broadly, his interests include the early modern and modern history of Iran, early modern Muslim empires, travel literature, and the culture and economy of gift-exchange.
Image: Iranian glazed ceramic tile work, from the ceiling of the Tomb of Hafez in Shiraz, Iran. Photograph by pentocelo, Wikimedia Commons.