Professor Richard Foltz (Concordia University) presents "What is the meaning of 'Tajik'?"

IAIS Visiting Speaker Series

An Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies seminar
Date	13 May 2019
Time	16:30
Place	IAIS Building/LT1

Richard Foltz (Ph.D., Harvard, 1996) is a cultural historian specializing in the broader Iranian world and his work highlights the wide-ranging influence of Iranian civilization on diverse societies stretching from the Balkans to China.

Foltz is author of over one hundred articles and numerous books which include 'Religions of the Silk Road: Premodern Patterns of Globalization' (1999 and 2010), 'Religions of Iran: From Prehistory to the Present' (2013) and Iran in World History (2016).

Open to everyone

Abstract

How should the term ‘Tajik’ be understood and defined, especially in terms of its relationship to designations such as 'Iranian' or ‘Persian’? The ethnonym dates back as far as the pre-Islamic period, but its meaning and significance have undergone numerous transformations over space and time and remain contested today. Are today's Tajiks merely 'Iranians of the East', or are they a separate ethnicity with their own distinct language, history and identity?

Intended audience	Open to everyone

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