Ron Sela

Ron Sela is an Associate Professor at Indiana University and Director of the Islamic Studies Program within the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He holds adjunct appointments in Religious Studies, History, Jewish Studies, and International Studies. Sela earned his PhD from Indiana University in 2004. His research focuses on the history and historiography of Central Asian Muslim communities, emphasizing self-representation in literary traditions, authority dynamics, ethnicity, and religious identity. His work examines sources ranging from the Mongol era to the present, analyzing rituals, genealogies, and mythmaking processes.

He has advised over 20 doctoral students, many as dissertation chair, with topics spanning political, social, and cultural histories of Central Asia. Recent notable PhDs include studies on Zunghar state formation, Xinjiang cotton agriculture, and Āfāqiyya Sufi paths. Current students are investigating diverse themes in Central Eurasian history.

Sela’s publications include monographs on Tamerlane’s legendary biographies and edited volumes on Central Asian religious authority. His courses cover Central Asian ethnic history, Turkic-Iranian civilizations, and historical methodology. Current research projects explore Turk-Iranian interactions, Manghit dynastic tombs, and Central Asian-Hindustani connections.

He has contributed to interdisciplinary collaborations, including translations of historical sources and analysis of diplomatic missions. His work bridges historical analysis with broader questions of cultural identity and knowledge boundaries in Eurasia.