Dr. Azfar Moin

Biography

Azfar Moin studies the early modern Islamic world with a focus on comparative perspectives regarding concepts and practices of sovereignty. His book 'Millennial Sovereign: Sacred Kingship, Sainthood, Islam' (Columbia University Press, 2012) received multiple accolades, including the Book History Religions Award from the American Academy of Religion, the John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History from the American Historical Association, and an Honorable Mention for the Bernard S. Cohn Book Prize from the Association for Asian Studies. Moin co-edited an interdisciplinary volume of essays titled 'Sacred Kingship in World History: Immanence and Transcendence' (Columbia University Press, 2022). In 2022, he guest-edited a special issue of the journal Modern Asian Studies focused on 'Sulh-i Kull: The Oath of Peace, Mughal Political Theology, History, Theory, and Comparison.' His work is supported by grants including the Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Social Science Research Council and the Charles Ryskamp Research Fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies. Moin teaches courses exploring religious transformations in the early modern Islamic world, focusing on rituals and the practice of sovereignty in Islam and theoretical methodologies within the study of religion. He also serves as a co-editor for Modern Asian Studies, published by Cambridge University Press.

Research Interests

Courses