Hist082

History 082-401 Islam in Global Perspective

Spring 2006. Tues, Thurs 12-1:30. Bennett Hall 231

Instructors: Firoozeh Kashani-Sabet and David Ludden

This introductory course covers the history of Muslim societies and polities from their inception to the present, focusing on their increasing geographic and cultural diversity and their modern transformations. We stress three themes: (1) the historical expansion of Islam inside diverse, changing, cultural environments, (2) the interaction of Islamic thought and politics with imperialism and nationalism, and (3) the complexity of contemporary Muslim worlds.

Books to buy at House of Our Own bookstore, 3920 Spruce Street.

Ira Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies , Cambridge University Press, 1988

Malise Ruthven (with Azim Nanji), Historical Atlas of Islam , Harvard University Press, 2004

Grading based on 100 point total for course (letter grade calculations)

(1) Quizzes (4 @ 10 points each = 40 points)

(2) Five-page papers on assigned questions (3 @ 20 points each = 60 points. Draft required)

(3) Extra-credit assignment (1 @ 5 points)

Blackboard: All written assignments must be submitted IN HARD COPY IN CLASS ON THE DUE DATE AND ALSO to the course Blackboard site.

SEE BLACKBOARD "Course Documents" folder for Prof.Kashani-Sabet's Powerpoint Slides

Weekly Topic/Reading

Part One: Medieval Beginnings and Early Expansion

1. The Birth of Islam in the Seventh Century

Jan. 10. Getting Started

Mechanics of the course.

Introducing Islam.

Introducing Global Perspective.

Jan. 12. The Context and Career of Muhammad

READ: Ruthven, 1-29, Lapidus , 1-27.

Afro-Eurasia HTML PPT

2. Arab Islamic Empires

Jan. 17. Ruthven, 28-37. Umayyids

Jan. 19. Lapidus, 37-136. Abbassids

3. A Medieval Muslim Paradigm

Jan. 24. Ruthven, 38-39. Regional Trends

Jan. 26. Lapidus, 137-238. An East-West culture

Paper #1 Assignment.

Medieval Islamic Science

4. Dynamics of Expansion

Jan. 31. Lapidus, 239-275, Ruthven, 40-57. Seljuks

Feb. 2. Arabs, Ghaznavids, and India

Submit paper #1 draft. Draft is not graded for content, only for seriousness as first effort to address the assignment. Attach draft in BB by class time. On-time draft attachment counts for 5 points of Paper #1 grade. Q&A in class.

Part Two. Late Medieval and Early Modern Expansion

5.    Sufis, Mongols, Safavids, and Ottomans

        Feb. 6. MONDAY Paper #1 DOC file attachment on BB due by 12 noon.

Feb. 7. Lapidus, 276-343

        Feb. 9. Ruthven, 58-65

6. The Mediterranean Basin, North Africa, and the Swahili Coast

            Feb. 14. Lapidus, 344-413, 489-548

            Feb. 16. Ruthven, 66-75. Paper #2 assignment:

Using details from one or more of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal imperial histories, describe the changing character of Muslim living environments, circa 1406 – 1707.

7. Central Asia, the Indian Ocean, South and Southeast Asia

        Feb. 21. Lapidus, 414-488. Ruthven, 76-110.

In class: discussion of comparisons, common themes, and connections among Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal "cultural environments."

QUIZ2 VOCABULARY LIST

Feb. 23. Write paper #2 draft . Draft is not graded for content, only for seriousness as first effort to address the assignment. Attach draft in BB by class time. On-time draft attachment counts for 5 points of Paper grade. Q&A in class.

8. The Nineteenth Century and Muslim Polities

          Feb. 27. MONDAY Paper #2 DOC file attachment on BB due by 12 noon.

ALSO BRING HARDCOPY PRINTOUT OF PAPER TO CLASS

Feb. 28. Egypt, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire

          Mar. 2. South and Southeast Asia

Spring Break. Enjoy!

Part Three: Modern Transformations

9. Nationalism and Islam: Egypt, Iran, and the Ottoman Empire

            Mar. 14. Lapidus, 549-636

            Mar. 16.

10. Nationalism and Islam: Arab lands and Africa

            Mar. 21. Lapidus, 636-717, 823-880

            Mar. 23.

11. Nationalism and Islam: Central, South, and Southeast Asia

            Mar. 28. Lapidus, 718-878 .... Egypt and Ottoman empire to 1900

            Mar. 30. Iran and Islamic modernism, to 1920s....Extra credit assignment announced.

12. Contemporary Issues: Secularism and Revivalism

            Apr. 4. Lapidus, 879-917 .... extra credit map quiz. . .Turkey, Iran, Egypt, to 1945.

            Apr. 6. Paper #3 assignment announced ... South Asia . post-1947

PAPER #3 Assignment:

In no more than five double-spaced pages, use appropriate details from readings and lectures to analyze the complexity of interactions between Islam and modern modern politics.

13. Contemporary Issues: Minorities and Majoritarianism

        Apr. 11. Why Khomeini?

Apr. 13. "The Muslim Problem," Cold War, and US Diplomacy.

14. Comtemporary Issues: Fundamentalism, Resistance, and Power

Apr. 18. The Middle East (9/11 discussion) SCUE forms

Apr. 20. Comparisons among Asian countries.

Final Discussion

Paper #3 draft due ON BB BY NOON TODAY. Draft is not graded for content, only for seriousness as first effort to address the assignment. On-time draft attachment counts for 5 points of Paper grade.

CLOSING TIME: Apr. 25. TUESDAY 5PM

Paper #3 due as DOC file attachments on BB AND as HARDCOPY in David Ludden's mailbox in the History Department, 208 College Hall.

The BB course site will be closed down soon after and no assignments will be accepted henceforth. Final grades will be posted on BB within one week