Histories of the Middle East, 600-1800 C.E.

Module title	Histories of the Middle East, 600-1800 C.E.
Module code	ARA1036
Academic year	2024/5
Credits	15
Module staff	Professor William Gallois (Lecturer)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	11

Number students taking module (anticipated)	40

Module description

Few other regions of the world have provoked more interest and controversy than the Middle East. This module will provide you with an introductory overview of the historical, political, economic and strategic factors that shape the modern Middle East, examining key issues in the politics and society of the region from the Prophet to the end of the eighteenth century. It is designated to highlight the multi-faceted nature of Middle Eastern polities and to provide a continuity/change perspective on themes of regional unity versus political fragmentation. It also aims at providing you with the concepts and tools necessary to develop an analytical approach to understanding the Middle East.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The primary aim of this module is to provide an introduction (including for those of you with no prior background) to the complex history of the Middle East utilising a variety of sources and providing relevant social and historical context. An important secondary aim (which is indispensable for fulfilling the primary aim) is to help you become aware of and begin to appreciate the multi-faceted nature of Middle Eastern polities. The module also aims to provide you with an introduction to the major themes, issues, and events in Middle Eastern history. This context will help you to appreciate how historians interpret the past and the nature of scholarly debate about different interpretations of that past, allowing you to participate with confidence in these debates, as well as providing you with a sound basis for your future studies.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. demonstrate your knowledge of some key themes, issues, and events in modern Middle Eastern history
2. identify and explain in your own words (orally and in writing) major themes, issues, and events in Middle Eastern history

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

3. demonstrate understanding of how history is written and to appreciate that history is only the attempt to represent and explain the past, it is not the past itself
4. read history critically
5. discuss and debate different historical explanations of past events.
6. respect different points of view about the past

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

7. think critically about issues and events.
8. examine the motives underlying human action

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some to all of the following topics:

Lecture - Studying the Middle East and Islamic history
Seminar - Historiography and periodisation
Lecture - The pre-Islamic Middle East
Seminar - Source analysis and material remains
Lecture -The rise and expansion of Islam
Seminar - Intellectual history and histories of religions
Lecture - The Umayyad and Abbasid empires: religion and daily life
Seminar - Social history
Lecture - Al-Andalus: identity and community
Seminar - Secondary sources
Lecture - Islamic thought: philosophy, politics, science and art
Seminar - Varieties of history
Lecture - The Crusades and the history of the west in the Islamic world
Seminar - Orientalism
Lecture - The Ottoman empire: trade and economy
Seminar - Economic history
Lecture - Imperial history
Seminar - Historiography of empires, nations and nationalism
Lecture - Islam and the connected worlds of the Middle East and Asia
Seminar - Transnational history
Lecture - Gendered histories of the Middle East
Seminar - Gender history

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
22	128	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	11	11 x 1 hr lectures covering the topics listed in the syllabus plan
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	11	11 x 1 hr class discussions of pre-assigned reading
Guided independent study	38	Reading for, and reflecting on, seminars
Guided independent study	30	Completing essay proposal based on research of the literature
Guided independent study	60	Preparing for and completing summative assignments

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay proposal	200 words	1-7	Oral

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Essay 1	35	1,750 words	1-8	Written and oral
Essay 2	65	1,750 words	1-8	Written and oral
	0
	0
	0
	0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Essay 1	Essay 1 (1,750 words)	1 - 8	January reassessment period
Essay 2	Essay 2 (1,750 words)	1 - 8	August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Arthur Goldschmidt & Lawrence Davidson, A Concise History of the Middle East (2009).

Richard Marius, A Short Guide to Writing About History (2006).

Key words search

Middle East, Prophets, Umayyad & Abbasid, Ottoman Empire, Islam, Palestine, Arab-Israeli Conflict

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	4
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	24/06/2015
Last revision date	15/05/2023