History 3008: The Making of the Islamic World
Fall 2009
11:45 – 12:50 MWF / Imholte 114
Professor Jennifer Deane
Office: 112 Camden
Office Hours: Tues 2:00 – 4:00 / Fri 2:00 - 3:00
(and by appointment)
Email: deanej@morris.umn.edu
“It should be known that history is a discipline that has a great number of approaches. Its useful aspects are many, its goal is distinguished.” Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406)
Course Description
This course surveys the historical origins, expansion, and development of Muslim societies between the sixth and sixteenth centuries. After first considering the geographical, economic, political, religious, and social context of pre-Islamic Arabia, we will then study the life of the Prophet Mohammed, and the emergence of Islam as a faith rooted in the Qur’an. We will then explore the various means and mechanisms by which an originally Arabian religion ultimately transformed to encompass regions across Europe and Eurasia, and to incorporate peoples of stunningly diverse cultural, political, and linguistic traditions. We will pay particular attention to intellectual developments across these centuries, and the array of questions, solutions, and arguments offered by Muslim thinkers. Please note that this is not a course focusing on religion or theology, though we will of course be learning about the faith – our emphasis will instead be on the historical processes by which environments, economies, cultures, and politics fused with the vigorous Islamic faith to produce and sustain new civilizations.
(for policies, assignments, and resources, scroll down to the bottom of the page)
Part I: Origins to 632
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Origins
Week 3: The Rise of Islam
Week 4: The Message
Part II: Arab Expansion and Muslim Organization (632 – 950)
Week 5: Imperialism and Factionalism
Week 6: The ‘Abbasids
Week 7: The Search for Order
Week 8: Sufis and Scholars
Part III: Struggles for Power (950 – 1260)
Week 10: Three Caliphates, 950 – 1100
Week 12: Pressures East and West, 1100 – 1260
Week 13:
Week 15: From Mongols to Ottomans
Week 16: Conclusions
Final paper due in my box on Tuesday, December 15, in the Social Science division office (first floor of Camden Hall) by 4:30 pm
Course Goals
By the end of this semester, you should be able to:
Course Readings
The following books are required and can be purchased at the UMM Bookstore. The name in parentheses is how the book will be referenced in the reading schedule below:
We will also be using primary sources from the following web tools:
Course Requirements
Participation/Preparedness – 15%
Participation in class discussion is a crucial element of the course, and you are expected to come prepared to talk about the assigned readings and discussion questions. I reserve the right to call on students at any point during the class period, though I would much prefer enthusiastic voluntary participation. Quality participation means interacting with your peers critically and postiviely, and showing up prepared, ready to write and discuss. I will also use periodic in-class writing assignments and pop quizzes on the assigned material for that day to assess preparedness.
Exams – 40%
We will have 4 exams across the semester, each worth 10%. These will pertain only to material since the last test (ie, non-cumulative) and you must be present to take them. Because I want you to use the exams as a means of strengthening essay-writing and historical argumentation, I will give you the essay questions ahead of time and will work with each of you on rewrites. If you are going to miss an exam, you must let me know ahead of time or there will be no makeup option.
‘House of Wisdom’ Presentations – 15%
A striking cultural feature of ‘Abbasid Baghdad was the Bait al-Hikma, or “House of Wisdom,’ a community of Muslim intellectuals brought together and supported by the caliph in the 9th century. At the Baghdad House of Wisdom (and others which soon followed throughout the Dar al-Islam), scholars pursued and shared their research in a stunning array of fields ranging from astronomy, chemistry, and mathematics to philosophy, poetry, and translation. We will use the House of Wisdom as a model as we explore the compelling questions and crucial contributions of pre-modern Muslim scholars. In teams of two, you will have 15-20 minutes to teach the class about your assigned intellectual. I highly encourage an imaginative and interactive approach, one that does not involve simply reading off PowerPoint slides. Further guidelines will be distributed in class.
Short Paper – 10%
During the first half of the session, you will write a short (4-5 page) paper on an analytical or creative topic, due in class on Friday, October 16. I will hand out a set of instructions and guidelines in class.
Final Paper – 20%
A longer paper (c.7 pages) on the topic of your choice is due on Tuesday, December 15. While you are welcome to select from a list of suggested topics, my hope is that you will each have developed an interest in a particular aspect of Islamic history that you would like to explore further. My role will be to help you develop a focused topic and a clear thesis on which to build your paper; I expect to see at least one draft, and will be glad to work with each of you on your writing. Guidelines will be distributed in class.
Course Policies
Readings on the syllabus are listed on the day for which they are due. Please bring the assigned readings to class with you each day, as we will often refer specifically to passages in the readings.
All assignments must be turned in at the beginning of the class for which they are due.
If circumstances require you to turn in an assignment late, you must speak to me before the assignment is due or I may not accept it. Late assignments will be marked down one letter grade for each day that they are late (ie, if the assignment is due on Monday and you turn it in on Wednesday, an A assignment will receive a C).
Attendance is not optional, and students are expected to attend each day of class. If you are unable to attend class for any reason, please remember that you are still responsible for material covered in your absence. In the event of an emergency or other unavoidable absence, please contact me to let me know that you will not be in class and to find out how you can make up the work that you missed.
Final grades will be calculated as follows: Grading Scale
Participation 15% 94-100: A 77-79: C+
Exams 40% (10% each) 90-93: A- 74-76: C
Presentation 15% 87-89: B+ 70 -73: C-
Short paper 10% 84-86: B 60-69: D
Final paper 20% 80-83: B- <60: F
Definitions of Grades & Academic Workload Expectations
F (or N) represents failure (or not credit) and signifies that work was either (1) completed but at a level of achievement that is not worthy of credit or (2) was not completed and there was no agreement between the instructor and the student that the students would be awarded an I.
I (Incomplete) is assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary circumstances, e.g., hospitalization, a student is prevented from completing the work of the course on time. Requires a written agreement between instructor and student.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty in any portion of the academic work for a course shall be grounds for awarding a grade of F or N for the entire course. The University defines scholastic dishonesty as “submission of false records of academic achievement; cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing; altering, forging or misusing a University academic record; taking, acquiring or using test materials without faculty permission; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards or professional endorsement.”
Please be scrupulous in your research methods, and feel free to ask me questions if you are uncertain about the distinction between appropriate use of sources and plagiarism.
Credits and Workload Expectations
The University of Minnesota student work-load policy states: “One semester credit is to represent, for the average University of Minnesota undergraduate student, three hours of academic work per week (including lectures, laboratories, recitations, discussion groups, field work, study, and so on), or approximately 45 hours over the course of an enrollment period.”
For example: a student taking a four credit course would be expected to put in an average of 12 hours of effort per week. Therefore, it is expected that, on average, a student will be working over 8 hours per week outside of class time on course related activities (e.g., reading, lab activities, studying).
Disability Services
The University of Minnesota is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. Disability Services is the campus office that works with students who have disabilities to provide and/or arrange reasonable accommodations. Students registered with Disability Services who have a letter requesting accommodations, are encouraged to contact the instructor early in the semester. Students who have, or think they may have, a disability (e.g. psychiatric, attentional, learning, vision, hearing, physical, or systemic), are invited to contact Disability Services for a confidential discussion at 320-589-6163 or email Collen Frey at freyc@morris.umn.edu. Additional information is available at the DS web site:www.morris.umn.edu/services/dsoaac/dso.
Mental Health Services
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. University of Minnesota services are available to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via www.mentalhealth.umn.edu.
Course Schedule