Hyderabad: 'Persian Manuscripts: Their Significance to Past, Present and Future', a two-day international conference inaugurated at English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), here on Monday, explored Hyderabad's blend of Persian and Indian cultures.
Prof. Haribandi Lakshmi, acting vice-chancellor of EFLU, who presided over the session, traced back Persian culture to the Golconda Sultanate and its patronage under Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.
The conference was hosted by EFLU’s department of Asian languages, in collaboration with the University of St. Andrews, United Kingdom. The event commenced with an address by chief guest Dr. Sudha Gopalakrishnan, who is the executive director of the International Research Division at India International Centre, New Delhi.
She lauded the scholarly value of Persian manuscripts in bridging historical literature with contemporary works.
Guest of honour, Prof. Andrew Peacock, from Middle Eastern and Islamic History at University of St. Andrews, discussed the historical British involvement in Persian manuscript preservation.
He spoke on how British scholars and collectors had once facilitated a flow of Persian manuscripts to Europe.
In a keynote address, Prof. Syed Akhtar Husain from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, mentioned Hyderabad’s role in preserving Persian literature. He advocated for proactive preservation of manuscripts.
The event saw contributions from Prof. Syed Rashid Naseem, dean of the School of Arab and Asian Studies, Dr. Mahmood Alam, conference director, who outlined the themes of discussion for the coming sessions. Dr. Smita S. Kumar, superintending archaeologist, Hyderabad Circle, Archaeological Survey of India also attended it.
