Today, the Iranian world, which encompasses the whole Persian-speaking and culturally "Persianate" region, including Afghanistan, Kurdistan, Tajikistan, parts of Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, is a geopolitically sensitive region. But it is also a distinct cultural area with a rich and complex history, a mosaic of ethnic and religious groups, ancient languages and dialects, and sophisticated literatures. The essays in this volume address a broad range of questions from a variety of fields, including languages, literature, religions, history, anthropology, demography, sociology, medicine, art, and film. The first volume engages with the Iranian world before the rise of Islam.