Material Mediums of Cultural Exchange

The Transfer of Books by Iranian Migrants in India to Safavid Iran through Endowment

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2025

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RFC14

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This project investigates the cultural and material entanglements between Safavid Iran (907–1148/1501–1736) and the Indian subcontinent through the lens of manuscript transmission. It focuses on the endowment of books by members of the Shiʿi migrant community in India to Mashhad during the 17th century. By tracing the trajectories of individual manuscripts and analyzing provenance markers such as seals, ownership notes, and marginalia, the project explores how these objects served as material vehicles of knowledge, devotion, and transregional connectivity.

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People

Project lead: Mahdieh Tavakol

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