Persian Historiography and Belles-Lettres from the Origins of New Persian to the Mongols

Introduces advanced Persian students to Classical Persian prose from the appearance of literary New Persian in the 10th century to the time of the poet Sa'di Shirazi, whose Gulistan was regarded as the culmination of good literary style and a classic in ensuing centuries. Gain familiarity with a variety of genres including history, geography, travelogues, ethical texts, and hagiography. Develop archival skills through an introduction to Islamic codicology. Acquire both linguistic competency in working with Classical Persian sources as well as an introduction to the scholarly debates surrounding the works in question.