History 190 - Prophet, Caliph, Sultan, Shah: Middle Eastern History, 500-1700

(Offered as HIST 190 [ME/TC/TE/P] and ASLC 190) This course surveys the history of the Middle East from late antiquity to the classical period of the Ottoman Empire. The course is roughly divided into three sections: (1) Islam in the context of late antiquity; (2) The Abbasid Empire: Perso-Islamicate synthesis and the articulation of Islamic institutions; and (3) The Ottomans in the Classical Age. The thematic focus of the course is on cross-cultural exchange, adaptation and synthesis. Students will become familiar with a variety of seminal primary texts, the principle historiographical arguments and debates in the secondary literature, and methodological tools of inquiry. The course culminates in a project designed to allow students to explore the Ottoman Empire in accordance with their own interests, and to introduce students to research methods. The course is appropriate for all students, regardless of major or prior coursework on the Middle East. Two meetings per week.

Spring semester. Professor Ringer.

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Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Close analysis of historical evidence, which may include written documents, images, music, films, or statistics from the historical period under study. Exploration of scholarly, methodological, and theoretical debates about historical topics. Extensive reading, varying forms of written work, and intensive in-class discussions.