Conference Topics

Cultural interaction and Geo-political strategy of Garmian region

This conference theme explores the profound political, military, and cultural transformations of the Garmian region during two pivotal eras of exceptional complexity:

1. The Late Bronze Age: A Theatre of Great Powers

During the Late Bronze Age, the Garmian region constituted a zone of critical strategic importance, serving as a central theatre for military conflict and diplomatic engagement among contemporary hegemonic powers, including the Kassites, Assyrians, Mitannians, and Elamites. This panel invites researchers to investigate the historical, archaeological, and civilizational legacy of these competing polities within Garmian. Particular emphasis should be devoted to the analysis of historical records and material culture from this era to elucidate the region's role within the international dynamics of the period.

2. The Neo-Assyrian Period: Imperial Hegemony and Local Agency

Throughout the reign of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the territories of Garmian were host to a complex tapestry of local states, peoples, and kingdoms operating under the shadow of imperial expansion. The region's enduring geopolitical and economic significance served as a primary catalyst for conflict, provoking repeated Assyrian military campaigns and ensuring its prominent place in the annals of the era. This conference emphasizes the essential need for scientific inquiry into the multifaceted political, economic, and social ramifications of imperial integration and local resilience during this period.

We welcome interdisciplinary contributions that utilize archaeological evidence, textual analysis, and theoretical models to understand Garmian's transformative role across these two distinct epochs.

  The Administration, Religion, and Culture of the Garmian Region from the 1st Millennium B.C. to the 1st Millennium A.D.

This panel investigates the Garmian region's critical function as a pivotal trade route and a major commercial and cultural nexus situated among hegemonic powers. Acting as a crucial linchpin connecting successive empires, Garmian's strategic importance was particularly pronounced during the periods of Achaemenid and Sasanian dominion. We welcome contributions that focus on the region's multifunctional significance within imperial frameworks, specifically its administrative integration, its role in military logistics and strategy, and its vibrant commercial economy. Research should also address the enduring legacy imparted by both states on the region's development. Investigations are encouraged to utilize a multidisciplinary approach, examining extant historical records, architectural remnants, and archaeological findings. These sources are vital for corroborating Garmian's status as a significant administrative seat, a dynamic economic and commercial centre, and an essential node within both regional trade systems and the broader Silk Road network.

 Garmian at the Crossroads: Conquest, Coexistence, and Conversion

This panel examines the Garmian region's pivotal role as a primary theatre of military engagement during the initial conflicts between the Sassanid Empire and the emerging Islamic state. It seeks to explore the profound and multifaceted consequences of these confrontations, moving beyond mere chronology of events to analyse their long-term societal impact. We encourage papers that probe the outcomes of the Islamization process in Garmian, with a specific focus on patterns of coexistence, assimilation, and the negotiation of identity between incoming Islamic traditions and pre-existing Zoroastrian, Christian, and indigenous religious structures. Research should critically assess the evolving status of these religious minorities both under late Sassanid rule and in the crucial period following the Islamic conquests. Central to this panel is an investigation into the transformative cultural and civilizational interactions among Kurds, Arabs, and Persians catalysed by these conflicts. We welcome analyses that trace the reflection of these interactions in the region's social fabric, material culture, and intellectual history. The subsequent processes of religious entrenchment, the establishment of durable Muslim administrative authority, and the region's strategic importance during the internal sectarian strife of the early Caliphate (e.g., between Sunnis, Shi'a, and Kharijites) are also critical areas of focus.

 Garmian in the Age of Kurdish Dynasties

This panel calls for papers focused on the significant Kurdish dynasties including the Hasanwayhids and Annazids that governed the Garmian region. Research should critically examine the nuanced nature of their political relations with overarching imperial powers like the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates. Furthermore, we encourage analyses of Garmian's geographical significance and its pivotal role in middle age economic and trade systems. The panel also seeks to illuminate the unique cultural synthesis of the era, particularly the artistic, architectural, economic, and religious exchanges that emerged from the interactions and rivalries among the period's dominant powers: the Abbasids, Buyids and Seljuks.

Religious Diversity and Intellectual Life

This panel examines the pivotal role of religious beliefs in the social and cultural formation of the Garmian region across millennia. As a nexus of diverse faiths, Garmian's history offers a critical lens for understanding religious interaction and transformation. We seek papers that explore the evolution of religious life from the Late Bronze Age through the Islamic era, with particular focus on Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Yarsanism, alongside indigenous traditions. Submissions should utilize multidisciplinary evidence—including textual records, archaeological finds, artistic production, temple architecture, and burial customs to analyse the development of these communities under the hegemony of the Parthian, Sasanian, and Islamic states.

Garmian in Regional and Global Historiography

This panel explores the construction of Garmian's identity through the lens of foreign historians, travellers, and scholars in their references to the Garmian region from historical, social, intellectual, and cultural viewpoints during the Middle Ages. Researchers are encouraged to investigate the reputation and renown of the Garmian region, based on evidence from Arabic, Persian, Kurdish, and other international chronicles and travelogues.

Archaeology and Material Culture of Garmian

Although archaeological exploration in the Garmian region is still in its early stages, recent excavations have yielded significant finds that illuminate millennia of historical development. This panel examines the most critical of these archaeological findings, such as architecture, coins, ceramics and pottery, and manuscripts and historical records. Furthermore, in light of these archaeological discoveries, emphasis will be placed on the region's role in various local handicrafts and industrial activities.