‘Iranianate’ cultures and Iranian languages have been of eminent significance beyond Iran ever since, in Western and Central Asia, India and China. The modern Persian language, which has been developed in the early Islamic period, became a lingua franca throughout large regions of Asia, thus contributing to the wide geographical significance of aspects of Iranian cultural history. These facts form the basis of an inter-disciplinary and super-regional direction of research in Iranian Studies of the Islamic periods. It has been given particular emphasis by the scholar celebrated in this festschrift.
The book with contributions by colleagues and former students of Bert G. Fragner thus offers a unique and international cross-section of themes of research from the entire area of Iranian Studies and related disciplines. Five chapters arrange scholarly contributions in a multi-disciplinary panorama focussed on the Islamic periods. Altogether 39 scholars from twelve different countries contribute on the themes: history and historiography, the history of literature and language, cultural and religious history, art history, culinary history.
A large part is occupied by Chapter 1 on history and historiography, subdivided in: concepts and contexts; memoirs and biographies; the Safavid (16th to 18th century), the early modern (18th to 19th century) and the modern period (19th to 20th century). Subsequently, Chapter 2 offers contributions on the literature and the significance of the New Persian language and on the history of Iranian languages. Chapter 3 covers themes of cultural and religious history from the medieval to the modern periods, reaching from Iran to China and Saudi Arabia. Chapter 4 provides essays and research on the history of architecture in Iran and on figural art in Central Asia and Iran. Chapter 5 ends the fest of the schrift with caviar, Ossetic beer and a trans-cultural meat dish.
The range of contributions reaching far beyond Iran offers to both a broader audience and specialists of Iranian Studies plus related disciplines a scholarly founded and stimulating, often entertaining reading. The book starts with a biographical essay on Bert Fragner and a list of his publications. It is illustrated by numerous figures and photos on plates in colour and black-and-white including material published for the first time. Lists provide an overview on the tables, figures and plates, and the authors.