Marc Czarnuszewicz

My research interest focuses on social upheavals in Iran arising from the coming of the Seljuq Turks. Modern Iran is united by a common Persian language and a shared national identity. However, up until the mid-11^th century Iran was clearly divided linguistically and culturally with New Persian only dominant east of the Central Iranian Deserts. While the Seljuq conquest of the whole of Iran in the same century likely helped create this linguistic and cultural union, we do not know the mechanics of how Iran became Iranian. My project will seek answers by mapping the socio-economic networks at the time around these deserts, charting how language and culture intersected with other networks to build a common identity. 

I previously studied at the University of Oxford, where I was awarded a BA with First Class Honours in Oriental Studies in 2018, and am now working under the supervision of Professor Andrew Peacock and co-supevision of Professor Carole Hillenbrand. I have received funding support for my doctoral research from the Scottish Graduate School of Arts and Humanities (SGSAH), the Gibb Memorial Trust, the Forty-Nine Thirteen Foundation, and the Honeyman Foundation.