UE 462 – Indo-Persian palaeography and codicology

Presentation:

This doctoral workshop was elaborated as a response to the difficulties we faced in dealing with Indo-Persian manuscripts. It also comes as an answer to a perceived absence in the training of students in the fields of Iranian and South Asian studies in Europe, namely training in palaeographical and codicological skills. As such, this workshop is designed to develop and perfect proficiency in these disciplines.

All those who are interested in participating are welcome, especially if coming from the fields of Iranian, South Asian or Indo-Persian Studies. The only requirement is proficiency in the Arabic or Perso-Arabic scripts. A knowledge of Persian is advised, though palaeographical students from different fields might find an interest as well.

The workshop is divided into five three-hour long lessons. The first half of each class is devoted to the magisterial presentation of a specific aspect of palaeography and codicology, whilst the second half is practical, and focused on manuscript reading. The topics dealt with during the workshop are varied, and aim at giving as wide a vision of the field as possible, without being exhaustive. The workshop is usually held in English.

The workshop is held in hybrid format: physically at the Campus de la Vielle Charité in Marseille (Salle C) and online via BBB (https://bbb.ehess.fr/b/raf-1zz-nlj-jqv). Sessions are from 3 to 6 pm (GMT+1).

Link to the Neobab page: https://enseignements.ehess.fr/2025-2026/ue/462

Organised by Victor Baptiste (EPHE) and Raffaello De Leon-Jones Diani (EHESS-CESAH)

The schedule for this year is as follows:

-        Thursday, April 9^th 2026

-        Thursday, April 30^th 2026

-        Thursday, May 7^th 2026

-        Thursday, May 21ᵗʰ, 2026

-        Thursday, May 28^th, 2026