Usman Hamid

Usman Hamid is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Northwestern University. He specializes in early modern South Asia, with a focus on Islamic devotional and cultural histories. His work examines the intersection of religious materiality, transregional connections, and the Mughal Empire's cultural dynamics. Previously, he taught at Hamilton College.

• BCom from McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management
• MA from McGill University’s Institute of Islamic Studies
• PhD from University of Toronto’s Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations

His research explores how Indian Ocean networks shaped Muslim devotional aesthetics in Mughal-era South Asia, emphasizing material culture’s role in piety. Earlier work includes studies on Timurid Iran’s social history and Iranian migration to South Asia. His work has been supported by the SSHRC.

Hamid collaborates with scholars like Pasha M. Khan, co-editing special sections in academic journals and co-authoring analyses on Persianate cultural exchange. Current projects trace the material and textual flows influencing Mughal-era religious practices.