A survey of the history of the medieval Islamic world from the
seventh to fifteenth centuries, covering the major political,
religious, and social developments of the period.
Athena Title
The Medieval Middle East
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in HIST 3561E
Prerequisite
Any HIST course or ENGL 1101 or ENGL 1101E or ENGL 1101S or ENGL 1102 or ENGL 1102E or ENGL 1102S or POLS 1101 or POLS 1101E or POLS 1101H or POLS 1101S
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to arrive at conclusions about the history of the medieval Middle East by using primary source and secondary source evidence to develop and analyze arguments and counterarguments about key historical themes and narratives.
By the end of this course, students will be able to write stylistically appropriate papers and essays about the medieval Middle East. Students will be able to analyze key ideas and themes, draw upon both primary source and secondary source evidence, organize their thoughts on paper in formal writing assignments, and revise and edit their finished essays.
By the end of this course, students will be able to identify how the history of the Medieval Middle East shaped diverse social and cultural attitudes toward religion, ethnicity, and identity, encouraging them to understand diverse worldviews and experiences from the region and period.
By the end of this course, students will be able to apply appropriate methodological approaches to their analysis of primary sources from the medieval Middle East and organize this evidence to show historical continuities and discontinuities across time and space in class discussions and class examinations.
Topical Outline
The Pre-Islamic Middle East
The Life of the Prophet Muhammad
The Early Caliphate
The Umayyad Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate
Shi’ism & the Fatimid Caliphate
The Late Abbasids
Early Theological Debates
Islamic Law
Islamic Science and Philosophy
Islamic Art
The Coming of the Turks
Islamic Influence on Europe
The Rise of the Sufi Orders
Crusade and Jihad
Post-Mongol Political Order
Late Medieval Intellectual Life
The Black Death in the Middle East
The Administration of Medieval Muslim States
Popular Culture
Institutions
The Late Medieval Economy in the Middle East
Women in the Medieval Middle East
Early Ottomans and Safavids
Institutional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, or visual form.
Critical Thinking
The ability to pursue and comprehensively evaluate information before accepting or establishing a conclusion, decision, or action.
Social Awareness & Responsibility
The capacity to understand the interdependence of people, communities, and self in a global society.
