James Gustafson received his B.A. from the University of Massachusetts, his M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago, and his Ph.D. in History from the University of Washington. He joined the faculty in 2012 after two years at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. His research focuses on the social, economic, and cultural history of the modern Middle East and Central Asia, with an emphasis on Qajar Iran (1795-1925). In particular, he is interested in provincial history and local traditions of historical and geographical writing. His current book project is a study of the elite households of the Iranian province of Kirman, exploring how prestigious elements of provincial society mediated change at the level of a community during the critical transitional period from the mid-nineteenth century to World War I. Prof. Gustafson also holds an Affiliate appointment in ISU's Department of Political Science and serves as the President of the Midwest Association for Middle East and Islamic Studies (MAMEIS).

James M. Gustafson, “Qajar Ambitions in the Great Game: Notes on the Embassy of ‘Abbas Qoli Khan to the Amir of Bokhara, 1844” Iranian Studies 46, no.4 (forthcoming; July 2013); "Household Networks and Rural Integration in Qajar Kirman" (article under review); "Kerman: Qajar Period" Encyclopaedia Iranica (in progress, 2013); "Kerman: Carpets" Encyclopaedia Iranica (in progress, 2013).

Social and Economic History of Qajar Iran; Provincial Historiographical Traditions; Geographical Writing; Elite Households and Household Estates.

Social and Intellectual History of Qajar Iran

Assistant Professor, Indiana State University