HIST 314 - Islamic Empires

Credit Hours: 4
This class is a general survey that introduces Islamic political thought as manifested by the Islamic states of medieval and early-modern times. It examines Islamic notions of law, state and authority that emerged as a response to current political developments such as the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates, the extinction of the caliphate by the Mongols in 1258 and the political fragmentation that followed, and finally the rise of the so-called Gunpowder Empires. The survey will focus mainly on the Ottoman Empire, but also explore the interactions between the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires. As we explore the different approaches of various disciplines and subfields - law and economics, anthropology, art and architectural history, environmental history, history of epidemics, and women’s history, we will have the opportunity to consider the different sources and methods for the study of Islamic history.