Behnaz A. Mirzai

Professor of Middle Eastern history at Brock University and Senior Guest Researcher at the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies; researcher on the African diaspora in Iran and the history of slavery in the Middle East, and author/editor of the featured book.

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Oct 14, 2025 • 1h 1min

Mahboob Qirvanian and Behnaz Mirzai, "Life of an Enslaved African in the Ottoman Empire and Iran" (U Toronto Press, 2025)

Behnaz A. Mirzai, a renowned professor of Middle Eastern history and expert on the African diaspora in Iran, unveils the extraordinary autobiography of Mahboob Qirvanian. They discuss Mahboob's childhood enslavement in North Africa, his journey through different cultures, and his ultimate transformation into a free man in Iran. Mirzai highlights the significance of this memoir as the only known slave autobiography from Iran, explores themes of identity and displacement, and shares glimpses into Mahboob's literacy, religious conversions, and motivations for writing.

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