Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Development of model of Persianate world to bring together histories of Iran, India, and central Asia (including Afghanistan) between circa 1200 and 2000. Movement and interaction of different peoples between major cultural centers where Persian was used as common language of intellectual, religious, social, and political exchange. Weekly focus on one particular theme, with lecture material supplemented by translations of writings of princes, poets, tribesmen, travelers, and mystics who created Persian republic of letters between Shiraz, Samarqand, and Delhi, and even as far as Siberia and China. Examination of why and how various ethnic and professional groups made Persian into one of most important languages in world history. P/NP or letter grading.