History: Hst Islam&Mid East since 1258

Introduction to the major institutions evolved in the Islamic Middle East since the Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258 to the present.

Open to Degree and PACE students.

This is an introduction to the history of Islamic civilization since the Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258 to modern times. Along with HST 1422, it is part of the two-course introductory survey on Islamic history, though the course does not presume on the part of the students a familiarity with the material discussed in the first half. Since “Islam” encompasses not simply a religion but an entire cultural complex, we will examine political, economic, and social structures developed in the Islamic world as well as the religious ones. This course is designed to familiarize students with basic themes and issues related to Islamic history, religion, cultures, and societies since the medieval times. More specifically, we will explore sectarian differences in the Middle East, the early-modern imperial polities that controlled the region until modern times, the profound impact that European capitalism and modernity generated on Middle Eastern peoples, and the ways in which the latter responded to these since the early nineteenth century. Concentration: Africa/Asia/Middle East/Global (HI04).