Sites of Encounter - Southwestern Asia, 300-1200: Baghdad and Nishapur Teacher Training Workshop: Keynote Lecture Day 1

Thursday, June 18, 2020

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Lecture with Beeta Baghoolizadeh (Bucknell University)


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uh i'm excited and honored to

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introduce our first historian and our

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first historian is looking at nishapur

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in its legacy this is professor bita

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beguli zadeh she is a historian

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and also teaches in africana studies at

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bucknell university

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she specializes in the history of modern

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middle east photography and slavery

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she's particularly interested in the

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visuality of race

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in relation to memory and erasure in the

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region

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her current project focuses on moving

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racial boundaries of slavery and

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abolition

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in iran and their legacies during the

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19th

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and 20th centuries so let's welcome

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professor pizza

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thank you guys thank you um production

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before i begin i just want to thank the

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student geography project at ucla

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uh for inviting me especially daniel uh

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for especially

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facilitating my participation here today

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um i also want to thank kelly and holla

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for the thoughtful work that they've

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done and you're going to hear about

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um and also finally i just want to thank

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you all

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um for being here in this workshop

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in zoom um i'm um

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i'm from la i was born in san pedro i

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went to ucla for undergrad but i'm

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actually

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zooming you from rural pennsylvania um

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where we are surrounded by farms and the

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amish

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but um but it's it's actually really

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exciting for me to be here today

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i have a much younger sister who just

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finished seventh grade

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so as she was going through the units on

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islam in the middle east i was thinking

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through this workshop so

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it was fun to be on both sides of that

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and so hopefully

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what i share here today will be useful

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for you as well

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so there are three areas i'm going to

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focus on today

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sort of world views how we think of this

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period of this area of this region

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through maps and also historiography

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um then i'm going to move into nishapur

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in the 10th and 11th centuries

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and then i'm going to look at nishapur's

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legacy in the 20th century

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um and so i'm focusing on national court

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even though it's not in the textbook

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because it's actually a really perfect

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site of encounter

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it was um a vibrant intellectual site it

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was very diverse it was multi-ethnic

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it had persians turks arabs indians at

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all different levels of society

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it was multi-religious it had muslims

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zoroastrians manikins

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buddhists christians jews it was a

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multilingual society most people would

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have known arabic and persian

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so there's just a lot of exchange

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happening

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um so just to orient ourselves

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really quickly um so that pin i've

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i've dropped on the map of you know

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google maps we're all familiar

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um that is nisha poor it still exists

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today

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i've been there i visited and you can

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see that it's in the northeast of

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present-day iran

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and that bigger circle oval shape that

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i've added

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it marks the area of horason um

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of course uh you know our um

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is not actually an exact circle our

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geographies don't work and shapes like

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that unless you're

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certain u.s states like wyoming but

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um it is just to ground us in sort of

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the area that i'm talking about today

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um so just to uh

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you know track a little bit um

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this is a map that i pulled off of

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wikipedia i know

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shame on names but um it's such a easy

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tool to use right

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we are all sort of familiar with these

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imperial maps

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um and i think that you

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all have a reference sheet that i made

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about nishapur

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um with a timeline a cast of characters

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yes no um so if you take a look

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at okay cool thank you um if you take a

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look at that

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if you take a look at the timeline um

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according to uh sort of popular

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histories

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the sassinian empire was at its height

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in 620 and that's what this map was

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showing but it fell

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very very quickly to the arab conquests

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right prophet muhammad dies in 632 and

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within first

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the first five years after that the

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first saving capital falls

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um and so this becomes an interesting

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inquiry

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because something that um was as

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popularly discussed

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in terms of the spread of islam is that

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islam was spread by the sword

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um and so uh

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you know this the the fall the the the

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very very quick fall of the sasanian

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empire calls this into question

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right um by this point

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this is saying an empire if it's this

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big how is it how is it falling to these

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arab conquests so quickly

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at this point it's already gone through

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several civil wars

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um the shah and its imperial government

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had established

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a state-sponsored form of zoroastrianism

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that was extremely rigid

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and exclusive in its membership so i

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know in the 7th grade framework

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that says that the persian empire was

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very tolerant towards different

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religious minorities

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and this is true for a lot of the

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persian empire

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but it's not true at the end and this is

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actually what leads to its downfall

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the sort of state-sponsored form of

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zoroastrianism was super

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rigid it was very exclusive in its

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membership it really stratified society

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in a way

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that was unwelcoming to people who had

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not bought into

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um this form of zoroastrianism

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and on top of that there were several

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popular uh

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religious movements um the mazda kite

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movement

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the manikin movement that had been

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crushed by the sasanians

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because of the threat to their imperial

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power

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and so when the when the arabs arrived

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there were definitely battles

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but there were also large portions of of

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people

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especially in the persian army who found

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islam to be very attractive

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because islam even if you were muslim

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declared that you were all equal

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right this is a very basic tenet and it

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was not something that the zoroastrian

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um the the sort of government form of

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zoroastrian

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exhaustionism had been uh supporting

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um and so when the arabs are arriving

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the reason why it falls so quickly is

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because there are large portions of the

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sassanian army of the persian army who

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are defecting to the arab invaders

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and it makes it very it makes it a very

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smooth transition actually

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um so i do just want to pause and say

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um even though i'm using modern map to

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ground us geographically it's from

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wikipedia

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i don't like using these maps um

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maps we consider maps to be objective

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tools

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um but they are not um so this map for

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example shows

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land in gray like that is a that's a

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choice right

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um it shows oceans in blue it gives us

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some sense of gradation in terms of the

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coloring and shading to show us depth

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and mountainous regions

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but it omits a lot of information and so

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the fact that this map is legible to us

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even though it's omitting a lot of

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information and prioritizing different

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types of information

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is subjective right and so when we're

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thinking about

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in the 10th century the middle east and

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the 10th century world views were very

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different

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and so i want to show you a map from 977

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um and this is a map that covers

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the persian gulf and the indian ocean

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region from the 10th century

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um staffi was a cartographer

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who was from right outside of persepolis

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in iran so he's

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connected to one of the capital cities

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in iran we don't really know that much

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about him

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outside of his maps he has several

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really

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really interesting and stunning maps um

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but they're very hard for us to read

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right because they don't follow our

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logic right they have a totally

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different logic to them

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um and so if

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i could ask you guys to just think about

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what you think this triangle

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might represent right um

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if i this is a map of the persian gulf

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and the indian ocean

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um so it is roughly

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the same sort of area that i was showing

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in the earlier sesame map but it

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it it has a totally different key right

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so

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i just want you guys to think about what

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the triangle might represent but also i

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want to show you that

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the map is oriented in several different

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directions

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so while here you have

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some of the writing in some directions

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here the

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circles which represent islands are the

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only things that are written

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right side up if you look at the two

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coastlines

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right the two coastlines uh things are

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written sideways

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but it really depends on what your

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perspective is because

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on the next slide the top coastline is

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written

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right side up but the bottom one is

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partially upside down

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so there's a totally different way of

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using maps

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there's a totally different way of um

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approaching the world right so it

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is um so this entire blue space

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is actually the persian gulf and the

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indian ocean combined

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and this seems very counter-intuitive to

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us today

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but it shows that um you know

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the map is trying to condense a lot of

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water it's emphasizing islands that

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might be used for

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stopping for fuel um but really it's the

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most it's

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it's most useful for ordering those port

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cities along

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um the coastline of the persian gulf and

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along the arabian peninsula

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and that big triangle is of course a

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major trading center it's india right

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and so

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this way to india um that middle area is

281

00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,240

persia and then you have the tigris

282

00:10:01,839 --> 00:10:04,959

which marks the entry into the arabian

283

00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:06,720

peninsula

284

00:10:04,959 --> 00:10:09,200

and then sort of comes down the african

285

00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:13,040

coastline and it shows using zabar

286

00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:13,680

um the logic of our maps where we think

287

00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:17,519

our maps

288

00:10:13,680 --> 00:10:19,360

show um equal like space like a mile is

289

00:10:17,519 --> 00:10:20,800

shown as a mile

290

00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,720

we think they're very accurate and

291

00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:24,720

objective even that's not true the

292

00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,200

mercator map has all sorts of problems

293

00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,200

right

294

00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:29,200

which we're all familiar with it

295

00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:31,680

overemphasizes the size of europe it

296

00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:34,560

underemphasizes the size of africa

297

00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:35,920

but actually in the 10th century you had

298

00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:38,399

a lot of trade not along

299

00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:40,560

not only along trade routes but also

300

00:10:38,399 --> 00:10:43,360

seafaring traders right

301

00:10:40,560 --> 00:10:45,200

and so showing the expanse of the ocean

302

00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,800

was not necessarily as important as

303

00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:51,040

showing them where they can go

304

00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:53,279

quickly right um it also shows that

305

00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:55,920

uh east africa was not very far away

306

00:10:53,279 --> 00:10:58,560

from this from this area and they really

307

00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:00,720

uh visualized it all in the same in the

308

00:10:58,560 --> 00:11:03,839

same region

309

00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:06,720

anyway back to this map um

310

00:11:03,839 --> 00:11:07,600

so we hate this map but we're still

311

00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,240

going to use it

312

00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:10,640

and the sassanians fell pretty quickly

313

00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,760

um

314

00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:15,279

and tanisha poor is right here right and

315

00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:18,640

so nishapur is marked

316

00:11:15,279 --> 00:11:21,360

um because it was a major city

317

00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:23,040

uh prior to the islamic invasion so

318

00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,959

during the sustaining period it was

319

00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,399

it was an important city some scholars

320

00:11:24,959 --> 00:11:28,560

have called it a capital

321

00:11:26,399 --> 00:11:29,600

and then it remains an important city

322

00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:32,800

after as well

323

00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:35,519

so we see some continuity um between um

324

00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:37,200

its importance and after the conquests

325

00:11:35,519 --> 00:11:38,560

it's become this very

326

00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,240

interesting and important source of

327

00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:41,760

study for historians who are interested

328

00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:44,000

in the rise of islam and

329

00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:45,360

sort of the the way islam took shape in

330

00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,720

its in its

331

00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:51,600

early early few centuries of its history

332

00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:53,839

um and so a lot of the historiography

333

00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,399

about the rise of islam has actually

334

00:11:53,839 --> 00:11:56,880

been

335

00:11:54,399 --> 00:11:58,000

shaped or challenged around nichelle

336

00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:01,440

poor's history

337

00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:03,920

um so if we um

338

00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,639

if we just take a pause here and think

339

00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,560

about

340

00:12:04,639 --> 00:12:08,079

what it means to talk about

341

00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:10,160

historiography

342

00:12:08,079 --> 00:12:11,680

when i say historiography i'm talking

343

00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:15,839

about the process

344

00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:17,279

of um writing history um

345

00:12:15,839 --> 00:12:19,440

a lot of people take the term

346

00:12:17,279 --> 00:12:20,639

historiography for granted uh no one

347

00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:22,880

explained it to me

348

00:12:20,639 --> 00:12:25,680

and finally i sort of just imagined it

349

00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:28,639

in my head as one long facebook debate

350

00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:30,480

um so academic books sort of take on the

351

00:12:28,639 --> 00:12:31,839

shape of a facebook debate where someone

352

00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:34,560

will say something

353

00:12:31,839 --> 00:12:37,120

and people will end up writing books as

354

00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:40,639

a response to what someone else has said

355

00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:42,560

either with new research news sources um

356

00:12:40,639 --> 00:12:43,760

agreeing or disagreeing with the earlier

357

00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:45,200

author or

358

00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:47,440

looking at the same sources from a

359

00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:48,160

different angle but ultimately trying to

360

00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,120

push the

361

00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:52,959

uh the conversation forward and so all

362

00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:55,120

of these different academic books all of

363

00:12:52,959 --> 00:12:58,160

these different um history books

364

00:12:55,120 --> 00:13:00,560

and debates become part of this

365

00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:02,800

larger sort of facebook thread of the

366

00:13:00,560 --> 00:13:05,839

historiography of a topic

367

00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:09,760

a lot of changes in historiography also

368

00:13:05,839 --> 00:13:13,279

reflect um uh our popular attitudes

369

00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:14,639

right so if we look at historiography we

370

00:13:13,279 --> 00:13:17,839

can almost sort of trace

371

00:13:14,639 --> 00:13:20,880

support for or reactions to popular

372

00:13:17,839 --> 00:13:22,639

attitudes about the topic or a region

373

00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:24,160

so it's also very reflective of our own

374

00:13:22,639 --> 00:13:24,720

world views and that's something to keep

375

00:13:24,160 --> 00:13:27,360

in mind

376

00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,839

as well um the easiest example i can

377

00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:30,639

give you

378

00:13:27,839 --> 00:13:32,320

is the way christopher columbus has been

379

00:13:30,639 --> 00:13:34,399

written about and framed right the way

380

00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:36,800

he's been discussed 50 years ago

381

00:13:34,399 --> 00:13:39,040

is very different than some of the ways

382

00:13:36,800 --> 00:13:41,600

that he's being discussed today

383

00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:43,279

and so that so tracing that change in

384

00:13:41,600 --> 00:13:44,560

the way that history is written is the

385

00:13:43,279 --> 00:13:47,680

historiography

386

00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:50,720

of christopher columbus

387

00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:53,040

um with regards to um

388

00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:54,560

national port and the persian empire we

389

00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:56,639

have a few different examples of

390

00:13:54,560 --> 00:13:57,760

how naisha poor how the history of

391

00:13:56,639 --> 00:14:00,079

nishapur has

392

00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:02,000

caused the historiography to go in a new

393

00:14:00,079 --> 00:14:05,360

direction or be

394

00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,720

rewritten so for example islam being

395

00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:08,880

spread by the sword

396

00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,560

just looking at the way that the

397

00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:11,839

opposing army has defected to the

398

00:14:10,560 --> 00:14:13,440

muslims

399

00:14:11,839 --> 00:14:15,920

looking at those sources has really

400

00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:18,560

changed that popular narrative

401

00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:20,480

and it changed depending on what kind of

402

00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:21,519

historical sources were available to

403

00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:24,880

scholars

404

00:14:21,519 --> 00:14:26,880

so recent historiography of the

405

00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,160

the spread of islam has been really

406

00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:31,519

interesting

407

00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:34,720

and this is because if you look at

408

00:14:31,519 --> 00:14:36,639

the later historical records from muslim

409

00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:39,760

imperial historical sources

410

00:14:36,639 --> 00:14:40,560

these tended to emphasize very violent

411

00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:43,839

captures

412

00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:45,760

and conquests of cities so um

413

00:14:43,839 --> 00:14:48,079

these are historical records that were

414

00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:52,000

from muslim imperial courts

415

00:14:48,079 --> 00:14:53,680

um and they they did this for a very

416

00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:56,959

specific reason

417

00:14:53,680 --> 00:14:58,399

now if you want to look at um historical

418

00:14:56,959 --> 00:15:00,639

records from

419

00:14:58,399 --> 00:15:01,920

earlier muslim courts right earlier

420

00:15:00,639 --> 00:15:03,920

historical records

421

00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:05,760

they reflected much less fighting much

422

00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,399

less resistance against the invading

423

00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,880

army

424

00:15:06,399 --> 00:15:09,839

and so this question arises why is there

425

00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:12,320

this shift

426

00:15:09,839 --> 00:15:13,760

right because ultimately the people who

427

00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:14,160

are reading these and coming up with

428

00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:15,920

these

429

00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:18,079

conclusions are all reading muslim

430

00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:19,920

sources right they're not it's not that

431

00:15:18,079 --> 00:15:22,240

it's okay this is a christian bias or

432

00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:24,079

this is an anti-muslim bias or whatever

433

00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,360

that's not the issue here the issue is

434

00:15:24,079 --> 00:15:28,160

there's a shift in

435

00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:29,759

the muslim sources and this is because

436

00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:31,440

for later empires

437

00:15:29,759 --> 00:15:33,920

the more a city was known to have

438

00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,800

resisted the more taxes could be imposed

439

00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,839

on them

440

00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:41,360

right so it so that the

441

00:15:37,839 --> 00:15:43,839

the imperial state had this vested

442

00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,399

interest in painting these cities as

443

00:15:43,839 --> 00:15:47,759

being

444

00:15:44,399 --> 00:15:48,320

you know really violently uh resisting

445

00:15:47,759 --> 00:15:52,240

capture

446

00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,240

really violently resisting conquest

447

00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,880

and so uh because some sources were not

448

00:15:55,279 --> 00:15:59,600

available earlier or not

449

00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:01,120

this has really changed and shifted how

450

00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,959

um

451

00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:06,000

the rise of islam and its spread has

452

00:16:02,959 --> 00:16:06,000

been has been written

453

00:16:06,399 --> 00:16:09,600

um so another example of changing

454

00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:12,320

historiography

455

00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:14,079

charts how the jizya has been understood

456

00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,839

differently by historians

457

00:16:14,079 --> 00:16:18,320

and this is also in the california

458

00:16:15,839 --> 00:16:22,399

framework where um

459

00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:24,240

a special tax on muslims on non-muslims

460

00:16:22,399 --> 00:16:25,600

is mentioned in the california framework

461

00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,399

for the seventh grade

462

00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:30,399

and this special tax is always mentioned

463

00:16:28,399 --> 00:16:32,320

in tandem with whether or not

464

00:16:30,399 --> 00:16:33,759

muslim rulers force non-muslims to

465

00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:36,720

convert

466

00:16:33,759 --> 00:16:37,759

and so early historians um really

467

00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:40,560

interpreted this

468

00:16:37,759 --> 00:16:41,440

uh straight away as this is a coercive

469

00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:45,040

tax it's

470

00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:47,600

meant to motivate people to convert

471

00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:49,680

um it's meant to alienate the

472

00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:52,880

non-muslims

473

00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:55,839

later scholarship has reinterpreted this

474

00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:58,160

um and again this is because there's

475

00:16:55,839 --> 00:17:00,639

more sources being considered so

476

00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,920

um they reinterpreted it just as a

477

00:17:00,639 --> 00:17:03,440

revenue raising tool

478

00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,760

it was definitely meant to extract

479

00:17:03,440 --> 00:17:07,600

resources from non-muslim communities

480

00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,880

but it was not meant to suffocate them

481

00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:12,160

into conversion

482

00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,360

um for political leaders um for muslim

483

00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,919

political leaders

484

00:17:13,360 --> 00:17:18,160

they actually had a vested interest in

485

00:17:15,919 --> 00:17:18,559

ruling over non-muslim populations that

486

00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:21,199

did

487

00:17:18,559 --> 00:17:23,760

that did not convert because they wanted

488

00:17:21,199 --> 00:17:26,400

to maximize their profits in this way

489

00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,360

um we also know that the jizya was not a

490

00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:31,280

requirement

491

00:17:27,360 --> 00:17:32,320

it was not um it was not imposed at all

492

00:17:31,280 --> 00:17:35,679

times

493

00:17:32,320 --> 00:17:38,000

it was actually very unevenly applied

494

00:17:35,679 --> 00:17:41,039

and so sometimes sultans would apply the

495

00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:43,440

tax when they needed extra funds

496

00:17:41,039 --> 00:17:45,679

and whenever they would apply the tax in

497

00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,760

these sorts of periods it would

498

00:17:45,679 --> 00:17:49,280

very obviously you know create a lot of

499

00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,960

tension and controversy because it

500

00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,559

hadn't been part of their economies it

501

00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:54,320

hadn't been part of their budgets

502

00:17:52,559 --> 00:17:56,160

and suddenly this time needs money and

503

00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,280

he decides to rely on the non-muslim

504

00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:59,520

subjects and anonymous

505

00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:01,760

subjects like what the hell like this is

506

00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:04,799

not part of the plan you know

507

00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:07,840

um the earliest example

508

00:18:04,799 --> 00:18:10,080

of the jizya being imposed goes back to

509

00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:11,679

those same defecting sassanian soldiers

510

00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:15,520

who i mentioned earlier

511

00:18:11,679 --> 00:18:16,720

um these soldiers they wanted to join

512

00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,720

the muslims when they

513

00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:20,799

when the muslims start to invade persia

514

00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:22,640

and the soldiers were given a choice

515

00:18:20,799 --> 00:18:24,720

you either declare the shahada you

516

00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:28,240

either declare no god but god

517

00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:30,799

and you fight or you pay a tax

518

00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:32,160

and so these um the soldiers were

519

00:18:30,799 --> 00:18:35,039

professional warriors

520

00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:35,360

you know um and so fighting was very it

521

00:18:35,039 --> 00:18:36,720

was

522

00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:38,720

part of their daily life they're like

523

00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:41,360

okay fine we'll say no god but god and

524

00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:44,000

we're gonna fight alongside you

525

00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:44,480

um for those who did not say no god but

526

00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:46,240

god

527

00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,840

they were told okay you can sit in your

528

00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:50,320

homes we'll protect you

529

00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,760

um and so we can understand the jizya as

530

00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:54,840

a tax in return for

531

00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:59,600

military protection this is true

532

00:18:54,840 --> 00:19:01,919

largely um up until um the 19th century

533

00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:04,240

um so when the ottomans abolished the

534

00:19:01,919 --> 00:19:06,080

jizya in the 19th century

535

00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:07,679

it comes out of this move where they're

536

00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:11,039

like okay

537

00:19:07,679 --> 00:19:12,799

um you know we we want to join the rest

538

00:19:11,039 --> 00:19:15,360

of the enlightened world

539

00:19:12,799 --> 00:19:15,840

um with equality for our subjects we're

540

00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:17,840

gonna

541

00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,880

we're going to abolish the jizya and

542

00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,559

we're also going to make

543

00:19:18,880 --> 00:19:23,440

everyone eligible for military

544

00:19:20,559 --> 00:19:26,240

constructs conscription

545

00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:28,240

and as much as the christian subjects of

546

00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,280

the ottoman empire did not like the

547

00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:31,600

jizya

548

00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:32,480

they really did not want to be a part of

549

00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,799

the military

550

00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,919

they were not interested in military

551

00:19:34,799 --> 00:19:38,480

conscription

552

00:19:35,919 --> 00:19:40,240

um and so they protested until the

553

00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,360

christians were granted the ability to

554

00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:43,919

pay a small fee

555

00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:44,880

attacks out of military conscription

556

00:19:43,919 --> 00:19:48,799

right and so

557

00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:51,039

we see the jizya be sort of re-imposed

558

00:19:48,799 --> 00:19:52,000

under a totally different name but the

559

00:19:51,039 --> 00:19:55,360

same concept

560

00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,360

right in the 19th century

561

00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:02,960

so we come to nate shop for

562

00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,919

um so why national report it's not your

563

00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:07,360

textbooks

564

00:20:03,919 --> 00:20:10,880

why am i uh focusing on this random city

565

00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:11,760

um because it really was not that random

566

00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:13,280

of a city

567

00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:15,600

it was one of the largest cities in the

568

00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:18,159

world in the year 1000 a.d

569

00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:19,200

it rivaled baghdad baghdad is widely

570

00:20:18,159 --> 00:20:21,679

regarded as

571

00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:24,080

the biggest city in the world and so

572

00:20:21,679 --> 00:20:26,000

nishapur was its rival its sister city

573

00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:27,360

in eastern persia and horizon

574

00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,919

and like i mentioned it was a very

575

00:20:27,360 --> 00:20:32,960

diverse city with with a

576

00:20:29,919 --> 00:20:33,520

lot of different movement and exchange

577

00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:37,200

happening

578

00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:39,280

between the different people um and so

579

00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,720

it hit it was at its height in the 10th

580

00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,640

and 11th centuries

581

00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:44,799

it was a major city that was located

582

00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:46,559

alongside an important trade route so

583

00:20:44,799 --> 00:20:49,120

you can see it right here

584

00:20:46,559 --> 00:20:50,640

in the middle of the map um and you can

585

00:20:49,120 --> 00:20:52,640

see that it's also surrounded by a lot

586

00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,400

of other smaller cities it's not an

587

00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,640

isolated area

588

00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:58,080

it was a major trade center it attracted

589

00:20:56,640 --> 00:21:00,400

a lot of different types of people

590

00:20:58,080 --> 00:21:01,760

and crafts which we'll talk about in the

591

00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:03,679

breakout rooms

592

00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,200

and it was also seen as an intellectual

593

00:21:03,679 --> 00:21:07,280

powerhouse

594

00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:09,039

this is actually in some ways you can

595

00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:12,960

consider the birthplace

596

00:21:09,039 --> 00:21:16,720

of the sunni hadith tradition

597

00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:18,080

right um so uh you know in islam we have

598

00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:20,799

the sunni branch

599

00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:21,760

of uh of islam and a lot of sunni

600

00:21:20,799 --> 00:21:24,720

hadiths

601

00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,679

were collected in neishapur and this is

602

00:21:24,720 --> 00:21:27,360

where the hadith

603

00:21:25,679 --> 00:21:28,799

collection tradition starts to

604

00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:31,440

crystallize

605

00:21:28,799 --> 00:21:33,919

what's really interesting is that uh

606

00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,600

through micro histories of neshapur

607

00:21:33,919 --> 00:21:38,080

people have found that both men and

608

00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:39,600

women were involved in developing the

609

00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:42,080

sunni hadith traditions

610

00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:44,000

um and so you can you can argue that the

611

00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:47,120

sunni approach to hadiths and the oral

612

00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:49,120

history of islam grew out of the city

613

00:21:47,120 --> 00:21:50,480

and you can also argue that it was a

614

00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:52,799

multi-ethnic approach

615

00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,600

it didn't matter what your ethnic

616

00:21:52,799 --> 00:21:56,840

background was

617

00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:58,080

it was much more about your religious

618

00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:01,600

affiliations um

619

00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:03,440

so actually here at ucla um i say here

620

00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:04,159

at ucla i'm in pennsylvania i'm not at

621

00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,400

ucla

622

00:22:04,159 --> 00:22:08,880

but some of you are very close to ucla

623

00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:10,240

and professor asma saeed's work has been

624

00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:13,039

really fundamental

625

00:22:10,240 --> 00:22:14,240

in showing um the role of women in

626

00:22:13,039 --> 00:22:16,559

eventual development

627

00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:18,080

of hadith collections and so one female

628

00:22:16,559 --> 00:22:21,600

scholar who she's written about

629

00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:24,960

uh fatima hassan

630

00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:26,880

she looks at fatima's education and how

631

00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:29,760

it was facilitated

632

00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:31,520

by her father by her husband both of

633

00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,960

whom were leaders and scholars in their

634

00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:36,000

own right

635

00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:37,679

and how she became this this

636

00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:40,720

intellectual powerhouse

637

00:22:37,679 --> 00:22:42,720

um who gets a a

638

00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,720

a lot of the sort of intellectual true

639

00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:47,840

tradition gets attributed to her

640

00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:50,240

um so this is a folio of

641

00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:50,880

a manuscript of naishop poor's history

642

00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:54,159

written by

643

00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:55,840

alfredesi um and al fantasy was fatima's

644

00:22:54,159 --> 00:22:57,120

grandson and he writes about her and

645

00:22:55,840 --> 00:22:58,720

this is largely how

646

00:22:57,120 --> 00:23:01,280

uh one of the ways that we know about

647

00:22:58,720 --> 00:23:02,400

her um he said that she lived until she

648

00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:05,679

was 90.

649

00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:07,280

um he says that she was um

650

00:23:05,679 --> 00:23:09,840

she learned from all sorts of different

651

00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,320

people and we can tell from their names

652

00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:12,640

that they

653

00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:13,520

are it's a pretty diverse group of

654

00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:15,919

people

655

00:23:13,520 --> 00:23:18,000

um she was also involved in training the

656

00:23:15,919 --> 00:23:21,120

next generation of hadith scholars

657

00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:24,320

including um including women as were

658

00:23:21,120 --> 00:23:25,280

other other women scholars so both men

659

00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,200

and women were

660

00:23:25,280 --> 00:23:28,960

involved in this uh intellectual

661

00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,600

exchange um

662

00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,080

and he calls her the pearl of the of the

663

00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:35,039

city

664

00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:36,080

the the light of their family right it's

665

00:23:35,039 --> 00:23:39,440

a very

666

00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,559

um it's a very special text because it

667

00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:43,120

challenges

668

00:23:40,559 --> 00:23:43,600

um a lot of what the study of islam and

669

00:23:43,120 --> 00:23:46,000

women

670

00:23:43,600 --> 00:23:47,360

is treated as right the study of women

671

00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:50,400

in islam is also true

672

00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:54,960

is often treated as exceptional um

673

00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:57,279

that women in islam are uniquely

674

00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:58,240

banned or barred from public exchange

675

00:23:57,279 --> 00:23:59,919

from education

676

00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:02,640

that they're oppressed in particular

677

00:23:59,919 --> 00:24:05,760

ways but actually with studying um

678

00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:08,000

core we see that um

679

00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:10,000

we see that the status of women depends

680

00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:12,000

on local norms and cultures

681

00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,919

um and looking at it from a micro

682

00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:16,240

perspective can actually give us a lot

683

00:24:13,919 --> 00:24:19,360

of the nuances that are lacking

684

00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:21,200

in these sorts of broad strokes um so

685

00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:23,679

neither poor's role in developing

686

00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:25,440

the sin the sunni tradition uh

687

00:24:23,679 --> 00:24:27,360

challenges these hell of these popularly

688

00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:29,840

held beliefs about women in islam

689

00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:31,520

about not having a voice and actually

690

00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,480

education was very important for both

691

00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,880

genders

692

00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:37,120

at a particular social class right it's

693

00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:40,960

not about gender it's about the class

694

00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:42,159

um so another way um that the study of

695

00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:44,960

nishapur has

696

00:24:42,159 --> 00:24:46,159

challenged these sorts of broad stroke

697

00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:49,120

historical

698

00:24:46,159 --> 00:24:50,559

um assertions or beliefs is that the

699

00:24:49,120 --> 00:24:55,279

idea of conversion

700

00:24:50,559 --> 00:24:57,919

right so earlier scholars have suggested

701

00:24:55,279 --> 00:24:59,679

that the rise of islam relied on forced

702

00:24:57,919 --> 00:25:02,080

conversions

703

00:24:59,679 --> 00:25:03,760

that once an area was ruled by muslims

704

00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:05,440

conversions happened very quickly if

705

00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:07,600

they happened

706

00:25:05,440 --> 00:25:09,200

but richard bullet's scholarship goes

707

00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:11,039

through family histories

708

00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,200

and he basically maps out people's

709

00:25:11,039 --> 00:25:16,240

family trees this is very interesting

710

00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:19,440

biography writing was an important

711

00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,960

sort of intellectual product of um

712

00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,960

neisha poor

713

00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:24,799

among other cities as well and so what

714

00:25:22,960 --> 00:25:25,039

he does is he charts the kinds of names

715

00:25:24,799 --> 00:25:28,640

he

716

00:25:25,039 --> 00:25:30,799

they had so if families for generations

717

00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:33,760

had these pre-islamic persian names like

718

00:25:30,799 --> 00:25:36,480

xerxes cyrus darius cambuses

719

00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:39,360

and then the names start to shift slowly

720

00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:42,480

to muhammad ali hassan hussain

721

00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:44,559

you the the conclusion that he comes to

722

00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:46,240

is that because the naming practices

723

00:25:44,559 --> 00:25:47,919

were gradual and uneven

724

00:25:46,240 --> 00:25:49,919

throughout different families the

725

00:25:47,919 --> 00:25:52,480

acceptance of islam was also

726

00:25:49,919 --> 00:25:53,919

gradual as well and since his work other

727

00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:57,200

historians have come in

728

00:25:53,919 --> 00:25:58,960

with different types of support um but

729

00:25:57,200 --> 00:26:00,799

and it's really interesting that the

730

00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:03,679

city that um

731

00:26:00,799 --> 00:26:04,320

you know is is not it's maybe it's small

732

00:26:03,679 --> 00:26:06,480

today

733

00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,240

definitely a very very small town today

734

00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:11,120

but it was a powerhouse

735

00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:11,520

in uh the the 10th and 11th centuries

736

00:26:11,120 --> 00:26:14,720

really

737

00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:16,400

changes the way we think about um

738

00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:18,559

the way we think about islam and it's

739

00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:23,200

and sites of encounter

740

00:26:18,559 --> 00:26:25,440

um so like i mentioned earlier

741

00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,640

national court was an exciting center of

742

00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,320

trade

743

00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,679

and and because of that it makes

744

00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,919

material objects a very

745

00:26:29,679 --> 00:26:32,880

important and exciting source of study

746

00:26:31,919 --> 00:26:34,799

um so

747

00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,480

a lot of times and i'm sure you all know

748

00:26:34,799 --> 00:26:38,960

this that

749

00:26:36,480 --> 00:26:39,840

people who are not historians or history

750

00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:42,640

teachers

751

00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:44,480

uh think that historians only care about

752

00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:46,720

written text they only interpret

753

00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:47,520

uh written text which is important but

754

00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:48,960

actually

755

00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,559

including different types of sources

756

00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,279

really enriches our understanding of

757

00:26:50,559 --> 00:26:54,320

history

758

00:26:51,279 --> 00:26:56,960

um so looking at architecture material

759

00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,840

goods archaeological digs these are all

760

00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:00,880

sorts of

761

00:26:57,840 --> 00:27:04,240

um exciting ways of going beyond

762

00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:07,039

the written text and so because

763

00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,919

nishapur was this major uh trading city

764

00:27:07,039 --> 00:27:09,679

with

765

00:27:07,919 --> 00:27:11,120

pretty much a global outlook for its

766

00:27:09,679 --> 00:27:15,200

time

767

00:27:11,120 --> 00:27:17,200

so you have um a small collection of

768

00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:20,480

the items that the met excavated from

769

00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:23,520

nishapur in the 19 um

770

00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:26,000

30s and 40s and

771

00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:27,840

we can sort of trace the different types

772

00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,360

of influences that exist

773

00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:32,559

right whether it's chinese influence

774

00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:36,640

arab influence and so on and so forth

775

00:27:32,559 --> 00:27:40,000

so i do want to move on to um the second

776

00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:42,320

the last sort of uh part of my outline

777

00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,240

um so looking at 10th century legacies

778

00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:47,440

10 centuries later

779

00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:50,480

and so i wanted to think about what

780

00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:53,679

uh a literary achievement specifically

781

00:27:50,480 --> 00:27:55,840

uh from the 10th century looks like

782

00:27:53,679 --> 00:27:57,440

in what the importance of it looks like

783

00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:59,919

in the 20th century

784

00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,720

so um national poor and its surrounding

785

00:27:59,919 --> 00:28:03,600

areas

786

00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:04,320

were not only a major trading zone and

787

00:28:03,600 --> 00:28:07,120

not only

788

00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,080

a major intellectual zone in terms of

789

00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:10,399

religious studies

790

00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:11,200

but it was also a major literary center

791

00:28:10,399 --> 00:28:12,880

as well

792

00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,559

um so i want to talk about the most

793

00:28:12,880 --> 00:28:17,760

important literary work to come out of

794

00:28:14,559 --> 00:28:19,760

this period um the shahnameh

795

00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:21,440

um so we already know where neisha is

796

00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:24,559

it's right here

797

00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:27,600

um and so we see um a smaller city

798

00:28:24,559 --> 00:28:29,520

not too far away by the name of twos

799

00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,960

matus was sort of in the shadow of

800

00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:34,000

neshapur

801

00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:35,279

we have records of a shared culture of

802

00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,039

shared trade of course

803

00:28:35,279 --> 00:28:38,880

we even have records of people being

804

00:28:37,039 --> 00:28:40,159

exiled from national poor and having to

805

00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,080

move to twos

806

00:28:40,159 --> 00:28:44,000

um so there's a lot of different types

807

00:28:42,080 --> 00:28:47,039

of connections that that

808

00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:50,240

exist here but tuis is best known

809

00:28:47,039 --> 00:28:53,520

as the birthplace of ferdowsi who

810

00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:56,960

was a poet he was born

811

00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:59,200

in 940 and he died in 1020 and during

812

00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:02,399

his lifetime he wrote the shah name

813

00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:04,159

which translates as the book of kings um

814

00:29:02,399 --> 00:29:07,279

and the book of kings or the

815

00:29:04,159 --> 00:29:08,880

is this epic poem it's very long it

816

00:29:07,279 --> 00:29:11,279

begins with these mythic

817

00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:12,399

legends of the first man and the first

818

00:29:11,279 --> 00:29:15,120

empire

819

00:29:12,399 --> 00:29:17,200

and these legendary empires slowly get

820

00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:18,000

woven into what we would consider real

821

00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:21,279

history

822

00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:22,799

um like it includes references to um

823

00:29:21,279 --> 00:29:25,039

kings that we have in the historical

824

00:29:22,799 --> 00:29:26,640

record it includes references to the

825

00:29:25,039 --> 00:29:28,799

arab conquests

826

00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:30,640

he wrote a couple different versions um

827

00:29:28,799 --> 00:29:33,520

his first version was dedicated to the

828

00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:36,240

salamander prince in 994

829

00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:36,960

and then when mahmoud of ghazna invades

830

00:29:36,240 --> 00:29:39,279

uh

831

00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,640

this area and he overthrows the

832

00:29:39,279 --> 00:29:43,520

salmonella empire and

833

00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:44,559

ushered in the raznavid empire's control

834

00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,799

in hong kong

835

00:29:44,559 --> 00:29:49,200

so just to reroute all the sections that

836

00:29:46,799 --> 00:29:50,559

praise the original prince and dedicates

837

00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:54,399

it to mahmoud

838

00:29:50,559 --> 00:29:55,120

instead and basically gives him the same

839

00:29:54,399 --> 00:29:58,320

thing

840

00:29:55,120 --> 00:30:00,320

um but it is the version that he gives

841

00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:03,200

to mahmud of kazna that becomes this

842

00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:06,960

really important literary work

843

00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,960

it was important across

844

00:30:07,279 --> 00:30:11,120

the entire persian speaking world it was

845

00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,320

important in south asia it becomes an

846

00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,480

important document

847

00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:16,720

um and literary tradition for malay

848

00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,720

kings in malaysia so when i talk about

849

00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:22,399

like it had a very wide

850

00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:22,720

uh spread sort of influence i i do mean

851

00:30:22,399 --> 00:30:25,840

like

852

00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:27,679

very widespread what's interesting

853

00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:29,840

though is that starting in the 20th

854

00:30:27,679 --> 00:30:31,760

century fantasy

855

00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:34,240

gets credited with not only writing the

856

00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,279

shananna but he gets singularly credited

857

00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:38,480

with having saved

858

00:30:35,279 --> 00:30:39,679

the persian language um this has this

859

00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:43,440

has something to do with

860

00:30:39,679 --> 00:30:45,520

um different kinds of uh

861

00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:47,039

historical interpretations that maybe

862

00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:48,480

persian was gonna die because of

863

00:30:47,039 --> 00:30:51,919

arabic's popularity

864

00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:54,559

he's often treated as the first person

865

00:30:51,919 --> 00:30:55,279

to compose poetry in new persian this is

866

00:30:54,559 --> 00:30:56,880

not true

867

00:30:55,279 --> 00:30:59,519

he wasn't even the first person to

868

00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:00,720

compose a book of kings his version of

869

00:30:59,519 --> 00:31:03,679

the shah name

870

00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:05,519

actually samples a lot of earlier

871

00:31:03,679 --> 00:31:07,519

versions from different poets who would

872

00:31:05,519 --> 00:31:09,919

come before him

873

00:31:07,519 --> 00:31:10,880

but in the night in the 20th century

874

00:31:09,919 --> 00:31:13,840

there is a rise

875

00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:16,240

in nationalism and people begin to stake

876

00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:19,440

their identities their entire identities

877

00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:21,279

on the language that they speak right um

878

00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:24,159

and so these misleading statements about

879

00:31:21,279 --> 00:31:27,279

fairness to gain a lot of traction

880

00:31:24,159 --> 00:31:31,519

um and they become very very important

881

00:31:27,279 --> 00:31:34,559

to people so because this long epic poem

882

00:31:31,519 --> 00:31:35,600

is one of the more famous accident

883

00:31:34,559 --> 00:31:38,640

manuscripts

884

00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:40,880

in new persian um a new persian ming

885

00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:42,159

meaning the persian language written

886

00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:45,440

with an arabic script

887

00:31:42,159 --> 00:31:48,559

prior to the muslim invasions

888

00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:49,440

persian was written in cuneiform and so

889

00:31:48,559 --> 00:31:51,600

because this is

890

00:31:49,440 --> 00:31:52,640

one of the examples it's definitely not

891

00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:55,039

the first one

892

00:31:52,640 --> 00:31:56,159

and people who are most immersed in

893

00:31:55,039 --> 00:31:59,279

poetry would have known

894

00:31:56,159 --> 00:32:00,640

the earlier ones as well but because it

895

00:31:59,279 --> 00:32:03,840

is such a famous um

896

00:32:00,640 --> 00:32:05,840

and important example pharisees

897

00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:08,080

reputation gains a lot of traction in

898

00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,840

these in these sorts of ways and becomes

899

00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:12,080

really important to people

900

00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:13,360

secularism also becomes important in the

901

00:32:12,080 --> 00:32:15,600

20th century

902

00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,880

um and so somehow people will start to

903

00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,720

say things like

904

00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,399

um out of reverence for him that

905

00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:23,519

ferguson was anti-arab

906

00:32:20,399 --> 00:32:25,440

or that fantasy was anti-islam but if

907

00:32:23,519 --> 00:32:26,399

they'd actually read the shahnameh in

908

00:32:25,440 --> 00:32:28,159

its entirety

909

00:32:26,399 --> 00:32:29,600

they'd know that the entire front matter

910

00:32:28,159 --> 00:32:31,360

of the poem is about praising the

911

00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:34,080

prophet muhammad his family

912

00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,880

the caliphs all of whom were arab and

913

00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,960

muslim

914

00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:39,120

and so these claims that fair go see was

915

00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:41,519

anti-arab or anti-muslim are being made

916

00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:43,519

by people who haven't read the shahnamen

917

00:32:41,519 --> 00:32:45,039

and they instead know about it and they

918

00:32:43,519 --> 00:32:47,039

know about some of the stories

919

00:32:45,039 --> 00:32:49,039

um there are even claims that fedocide

920

00:32:47,039 --> 00:32:49,679

didn't use a shred of arabic in his

921

00:32:49,039 --> 00:32:52,399

poetry

922

00:32:49,679 --> 00:32:54,320

this is not true there are a ton of

923

00:32:52,399 --> 00:32:55,200

arabic vocabulary that's being used as

924

00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:57,919

well

925

00:32:55,200 --> 00:32:58,399

so all of these different sort of myths

926

00:32:57,919 --> 00:33:01,039

that

927

00:32:58,399 --> 00:33:02,880

surround fairgosie's book indicate that

928

00:33:01,039 --> 00:33:04,640

the book becomes more important

929

00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:06,000

the idea of the book becomes more

930

00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,720

important than the book itself

931

00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:10,320

right it's not so much as it's important

932

00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:10,960

to read it and know the stories and

933

00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:13,360

whatever

934

00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,799

the idea of okay this is our identity

935

00:33:13,360 --> 00:33:17,600

this is our nationalism

936

00:33:14,799 --> 00:33:20,000

this becomes really important it's

937

00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:22,399

fascinating that a poem that was written

938

00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,039

in such a diverse and cosmopolitan

939

00:33:22,399 --> 00:33:25,679

milieu

940

00:33:23,039 --> 00:33:26,880

becomes this the symbol of exclusionary

941

00:33:25,679 --> 00:33:28,279

nationalist ideas

942

00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,399

that privilege a particular

943

00:33:28,279 --> 00:33:33,440

ethno-linguistic group

944

00:33:30,399 --> 00:33:37,600

um so like i said

945

00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:38,080

this manuscript had footprints all over

946

00:33:37,600 --> 00:33:40,320

um

947

00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:42,399

the shahnameh was written and re-written

948

00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:44,960

frederos's character was rewritten and

949

00:33:42,399 --> 00:33:45,919

uh illustrated um and there are just so

950

00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:49,039

many gorgeous

951

00:33:45,919 --> 00:33:49,840

examples of the shahnameh from not only

952

00:33:49,039 --> 00:33:52,080

persian

953

00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,279

but also from not only persia but also

954

00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,120

india as well

955

00:33:53,279 --> 00:33:56,320

um the reference guide that i shared

956

00:33:55,120 --> 00:34:00,880

with you all has

957

00:33:56,320 --> 00:34:03,200

um some examples of the manuscripts

958

00:34:00,880 --> 00:34:04,799

has a link to the library of congress

959

00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,000

which has some examples of the

960

00:34:04,799 --> 00:34:08,320

manuscripts that the library

961

00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,520

of congress holds um and it should and

962

00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,679

they're from different periods

963

00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:13,119

ones uh printed uh one or two are

964

00:34:11,679 --> 00:34:16,879

printed in india

965

00:34:13,119 --> 00:34:19,040

um and another one's from uh iran

966

00:34:16,879 --> 00:34:22,240

um and so we see that this there's this

967

00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:23,839

ongoing appreciation for the shahnamen

968

00:34:22,240 --> 00:34:26,079

and rulers would commission these

969

00:34:23,839 --> 00:34:26,879

beautifully illustrated manuscripts for

970

00:34:26,079 --> 00:34:29,359

themselves

971

00:34:26,879 --> 00:34:31,760

wealthy families would also uh would

972

00:34:29,359 --> 00:34:34,639

also have them it would be read out loud

973

00:34:31,760 --> 00:34:36,159

at coffee shops houses people knew the

974

00:34:34,639 --> 00:34:38,879

more popular stories about

975

00:34:36,159 --> 00:34:40,720

it um other other rulers would try to

976

00:34:38,879 --> 00:34:43,359

commission copycat versions to

977

00:34:40,720 --> 00:34:44,720

dedicate it to themselves uh so a really

978

00:34:43,359 --> 00:34:47,839

famous version is

979

00:34:44,720 --> 00:34:48,879

uh or maybe infamous is fatimi he's a

980

00:34:47,839 --> 00:34:52,639

19th century

981

00:34:48,879 --> 00:34:54,800

uh iranian shah he commissions the

982

00:34:52,639 --> 00:34:56,639

right the book of the king of kings he's

983

00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:59,200

trying to out do fair dossier

984

00:34:56,639 --> 00:35:00,400

um he no one reads the shah shah nahman

985

00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:04,079

it is all about faith

986

00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:06,960

and stronghold right um and so we have

987

00:35:04,079 --> 00:35:08,160

um his importance just growing um in

988

00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:11,040

this time

989

00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:13,200

um and so in the early 20th century when

990

00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:16,640

photo c begins to be recast

991

00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:17,200

as this nationalist hero right reza shah

992

00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:19,280

who is

993

00:35:17,200 --> 00:35:20,640

the shah of iran at the time his cabinet

994

00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:22,240

really wanted to emphasize the

995

00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:24,320

importance of fair dossier

996

00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:27,119

in preserving the persian language and

997

00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:29,359

in 1934 they built a mausoleum to him

998

00:35:27,119 --> 00:35:31,359

and it's become a major tourism spot

999

00:35:29,359 --> 00:35:33,839

many people visit year round

1000

00:35:31,359 --> 00:35:36,160

i've been there my dad's been there this

1001

00:35:33,839 --> 00:35:38,000

is a photo of him from the 1970s i mean

1002

00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:38,560

my whole family's been there but this is

1003

00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:41,760

my dad

1004

00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:44,960

at uh this is mausoleum

1005

00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:48,000

he's looking real cool anyway um

1006

00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:50,880

it is a major tourism center and people

1007

00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,440

will go it's located uh pretty close to

1008

00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,280

um

1009

00:35:51,440 --> 00:35:55,119

which is also a very important shrine

1010

00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,560

city and tourism center as well

1011

00:35:55,119 --> 00:35:58,720

so if you go there you might as well

1012

00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:01,359

just go and say hi to fanduel c

1013

00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:02,720

um and so people know it's stories right

1014

00:36:01,359 --> 00:36:05,599

most people have not read

1015

00:36:02,720 --> 00:36:07,359

the shahnamen uh i should have brought

1016

00:36:05,599 --> 00:36:07,599

the copies i have to show you the copies

1017

00:36:07,359 --> 00:36:09,440

i

1018

00:36:07,599 --> 00:36:10,880

own are about this big and they're all

1019

00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:14,000

abridged right

1020

00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:16,079

um and so this is

1021

00:36:14,000 --> 00:36:17,680

a book that people knew some of its

1022

00:36:16,079 --> 00:36:18,320

stories but more importantly it becomes

1023

00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:21,359

a symbol

1024

00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:22,079

of iranian nationalism um this

1025

00:36:21,359 --> 00:36:24,800

particular

1026

00:36:22,079 --> 00:36:26,640

folio um that i'm showing you is from

1027

00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:28,560

one of the most famous stories the

1028

00:36:26,640 --> 00:36:30,000

story of zach hawk which you all read an

1029

00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:32,800

abridged um

1030

00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:34,480

translation of and what's interesting

1031

00:36:32,800 --> 00:36:37,119

about the story of that hook

1032

00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:40,160

is that during world war ii the british

1033

00:36:37,119 --> 00:36:43,680

adapt the story for their own propaganda

1034

00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:45,440

um they do this because up until 1941

1035

00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:47,040

resolution really wanted iran to be

1036

00:36:45,440 --> 00:36:48,960

neutral um

1037

00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:50,960

he had developed political alliances

1038

00:36:48,960 --> 00:36:52,880

with both the germans and the british

1039

00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:54,320

and also he remember he was a military

1040

00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:55,599

general of world war one and he

1041

00:36:54,320 --> 00:36:57,520

remembered how

1042

00:36:55,599 --> 00:36:59,119

um iranian society was decimated by

1043

00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,720

world war one we don't think of world

1044

00:36:59,119 --> 00:37:03,680

war one and world war ii

1045

00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:05,440

as um being fought outside of the you

1046

00:37:03,680 --> 00:37:06,160

know the european front or the western

1047

00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,400

front and

1048

00:37:06,160 --> 00:37:09,839

the japanese front or whatever uh we

1049

00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:11,680

don't really think about

1050

00:37:09,839 --> 00:37:13,040

it outside of europe and the major

1051

00:37:11,680 --> 00:37:15,119

players but

1052

00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:16,640

um there was a famine in iran that

1053

00:37:15,119 --> 00:37:18,960

completely uh

1054

00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:19,760

killed hundreds of thousands of people

1055

00:37:18,960 --> 00:37:22,000

there was also

1056

00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:23,200

fighting and skirmishes and whatever

1057

00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:25,119

they just wanted to be neutral they

1058

00:37:23,200 --> 00:37:27,520

didn't want to deal with any of that

1059

00:37:25,119 --> 00:37:29,359

um but iran's neutrality was

1060

00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,800

unacceptable to the british so they

1061

00:37:29,359 --> 00:37:32,800

invaded iran

1062

00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,320

they forced raza shah's abdication in

1063

00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:37,520

favor of his son

1064

00:37:34,320 --> 00:37:38,720

muhammad raza shah and they commissioned

1065

00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:41,680

an artist

1066

00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:43,520

to detail these postcards detail with

1067

00:37:41,680 --> 00:37:44,400

the story of zahak each with a different

1068

00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:47,359

scene

1069

00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:48,960

but there's a catch right now zahak is

1070

00:37:47,359 --> 00:37:52,480

reimagined to look like

1071

00:37:48,960 --> 00:37:54,400

hitler okay so just to conclude

1072

00:37:52,480 --> 00:37:56,400

uh you know looking at a city its

1073

00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:58,079

context its legacy

1074

00:37:56,400 --> 00:37:59,520

it can give us a lot of information to

1075

00:37:58,079 --> 00:38:01,520

think about in terms of how we view

1076

00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:01,839

history what we pull from history and

1077

00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,640

how

1078

00:38:01,839 --> 00:38:06,079

we actively shape history ourselves as

1079

00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,760

well

1080

00:38:06,079 --> 00:38:09,920

i hope you guys enjoyed thank you all so

1081

00:38:07,760 --> 00:38:09,920

much