Persian Historiography across Empires

with Sholeh Quinn

This presentation will discuss some of the main features of Persian historiography under the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals. Early modern chroniclers engaged in a number of historiographical practices, including engaging with and modifying the earlier Timurid historiographical traditions, rewriting and repurposing their own narratives, blending genres, and continuing practices such as writing universal histories. By examining Persian chronicles across empires, it is possible to gain a better understanding of how these historiographical traditions crossed imperial boundaries and formed part of the Persianate world.

The talk will draw upon some of the main points in the author’s recent book, Persian Historiography across Empires: the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals (Cambridge University Press, 2021).

About the speaker:

Sholeh Quinn is Professor of History at the University of California, Merced in the Department of History & Critical Race and Ethnic Studies.  Her research focuses on the history of early modern Iran.  She is the author of Historical Writing during the Reign of Shah ‘Abbas: Ideology, Imitation, and Legitimacy in Safavid Chronicles (2000) and Shah Abbas: the King Who Refashioned Iran (2015).  Her most recent book is Persian Historiography across Empire: the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals (Cambridge University Press, 2021).