Studies on the Iranian WorldToday, the Iranian world, which encompasses the whole Persian speaking and culturally "Persianate" region, including Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Tajikistan, parts of Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, is a geopolitically sensitive region. But it is also a distinct cultural area with a rich and complex history, a mosaic of ethnic and religious groups, ancient languages and dialects, and sophisticated literatures. The essays in this volume address a