The purpose of the Ērān Tūrān Hrōm talk series (ETHS) is to advance the study of late antique/first millennium West and Central Asia within a broader Global Historical and Afro-Eurasian framework. While the series centers on Ērān—the core territories of the Sasanian dynasty and the Eastern Lands of the later caliphate—it aims to expand their study beyond the confines of traditional Iranian Studies, where they have been primarily situated.

This series seeks to reposition these regions as dynamic nodes within extensive networks of exchange rather than isolated cultural spheres. By bringing together diverse scholarly perspectives, we hope to illuminate the complex interregional connections that shaped the political, economic, religious, and cultural landscapes of the first millennium.

For this purpose, the series particularly welcomes historians of Anērān (regions beyond Ērān) including China, Central/Inner Asia, South Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean whose work intersects with the study of Ērān. This may involve connective or comparative approaches, exploring environmental history, technology transfers, material culture exchanges, religious movements, literary transmissions, and other transregional dynamics.

We especially encourage research that challenges traditional periodization and geographic boundaries, offering fresh methodological approaches to understanding historical connections across Afro-Eurasia. Theoretical perspectives that interrogate established paradigms and reception histories examining how these regions have been constructed in later scholarship are equally valued contributions to the series.

The talk series aims to create dialogue between specialists in different regional traditions, fostering collaborative approaches to shared historical questions. We hope to engage both established scholars and emerging researchers whose work examines Afro-Eurasian connections through innovative conceptual frameworks.

Introduction to the Ērān Tūrān Hrōm talk series