HIST A151: History of the Middle East to 1500
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Curriculum Committee Approval Date | 12/08/2021 |
| Top Code | 220500 - History |
| Units | 3 Total Units |
| Hours | 54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54) |
| Total Outside of Class Hours | 0 |
| Course Credit Status | Credit: Degree Applicable (D) |
| Material Fee | No |
| Basic Skills | Not Basic Skills (N) |
| Repeatable | No |
| Grading Policy | Standard Letter (S),
|
| Associate Arts Local General Education (GE) |
|
| Associate Science Local General Education (GE) |
|
| California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) |
|
| Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) |
|
| California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth) |
|
Course Description
A survey of political, social, economic, and cultural history of the Middle East from the Bronze Age through the rise of the Ottoman Empire. Emphasis is placed on the contributions of ancient Near Eastern and Classical civilizations - Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Israel, Greece, and Rome - to the development of the Islamic world, and the expansion of Islam and its interaction with the pre-Islamic Middle Eastern societies and the world until 1500 CE. Transfer Credit: CSU.
Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)
- Analyze the historical development of the pre-Islamic civilizations of the Middle East, and their contributions to the development of the Islamic world.
- Interpret maps, charts, and graphs illustrating historical processes in the Middle East to 1500 CE.
- Identify and interpret primary and secondary sources, and use them appropriately as support in composing a historical argument.
- Explain the expansion of Islam and analyze its interaction with pre-Islamic Middle Eastern societies around the world until 1500 CE.
Course Objectives
- 1. Analyze historical developments within and across specific regions, states, and cultures of the Middle East to 1500 CE.
- 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the history of the Middle East to 1500 CE through multiple analytical categories, such as gender, class, ethnicity, and race.
- 3. Explain various forms of human group interaction, including trade, migration, warfare, and cultural exchange.
- 4. Compare and contrast forms of political, social, and economic organization in the Middle East before 1500 CE, and explain their historical significance.
- 5. Identify the major discoveries, inventions, and achievements of the Middle East before 1500 CE, and explain their historical significance.
- 6. Explain the historical significance of cultural developments in the Middle East before 1500 CE in areas such as art, music, architecture, literature, and religion.
- 7. Compare and contrast the ideals, practices, and historical developments of major belief systems before 1500 CE, both within the Middle East and between the Middle East and the world.
Lecture Content
The Bronze Age Ancient Near East (c. 3100--1200 BCE) Mesopotamia Egypt The First International Age (c. 1500--1200 BCE) The Iron Age Empires (c. 1200--350 BCE) The Neo-Assyrian Empire The Neo-Babylonian Empire Achaemenid Persia The Ancient Mediterranean World (c. 1200 BCE--300 CE) Israel: From United Monarchy to Second Temple (c. 1050 BCE--70 CE) Greece: From the Archaic Age to the Hellenistic Period (c. 800--31 BCE) Rome: From Early Republic to Empire (c. 500 BCE--300 CE) Judaism and Early Christianity The Late Antique East (c. 300--600 CE) The Byzantine Empire Sasanian Persia The Arabian Peninsula before Islam Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians in the Late Antique East Muhammad and the "Rightly Guided" Caliphs (c. 570--661 CE) The Life of the Prophet The "Rashidun" Caliphs Early Islam The Conquests Umayyad Caliphate (661--750 CE) The Beginnings of Sectarianism Non-Muslims under Early Islam The Abbasid Revolution Aftermath: Spain under the Umayyads Abbasid Caliphate (750--1258 CE) Sunnis and Shia Islamic Law Islam and Classical Traditions The Splintering of the Caliphate Sufism Turks, Crusaders, and Mongols The Aftermath of the Mongol Invasion The Mamluk Sultanate (1250--1517 CE) Persia under the Il-Khans (1256--1335 CE) Tamerlane and the Timurids (1370--1501 CE) The Rise of the Ottoman Empire (1281--c. 1500 CE)
Method(s) of Instruction
- Lecture (02)
Instructional Techniques
This course is classified as a lecture course, but instructors may use a variety of pedagogical methodologies in order to help students achieve the course objectives and student learning outcomes. These may include: PowerPoint or Prezi presentations, overhead projector, chalk or white board, and/or handouts to highlight concepts Audiovisual materials to establish historical context Discussion, either full-class or in small groups Role-playing Group activities Guest speakers Field trips
Reading Assignments
Students will spend 2-3 hours weekly reading 1-2 textbook chapters and related primary and secondary source material.
Writing Assignments
Students will write essays in which they apply appropriate historical information in answering questions related to the course objectives and student learning outcomes. Students will write an essay or give a report in which they interpret primary and secondary sources and compose an argument that uses them, as appropriate, for support. A minimum of 2-3 hours per week will be spent on writing assignments.
Out-of-class Assignments
Instructors may assign homework to help students develop and/or assess their ability to accomplish the following: Derive pertinent information from assigned readings Prepare for in-class discussion Locate appropriate primary and/or secondary sources through the library or online research Interpret primary and/or secondary sources correctly Manage the steps of a research project Students will devote a minimum of 2-3 hours per week to out-of-classroom assignments.
Demonstration of Critical Thinking
Students will write essays in which they apply appropriate historical information in answering questions related to the course objectives and student learning outcomes. Students will write an essay or give a report in which they interpret primary and secondary sources and compose an argument that uses them, as appropriate, for support.
Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration
Students will write essays in which they apply appropriate historical information in answering questions related to the course objectives and student learning outcomes. Students will write an essay or give a report in which they interpret primary and secondary sources and compose an argument that uses them, as appropriate, for support.
Eligible Disciplines
History: Masters degree in history OR bachelors degree in history AND masters degree in political science, humanities, geography, area studies, womens studies, social science, or ethnic studies OR the equivalent. Masters degree required.
Textbooks Resources
1. Required Hallo, W.W., Simpson, W.K.. The Ancient Near East: A History, 2 ed. Fort Worth : Harcourt Brace , 1998 Rationale: This is one of the few textbooks on the Ancient Near East that includes Ancient Egypt. This book is also relatively inexpensive. 2. Required Foster, B.R., Foster, K.P.. Civilizations of Ancient Iraq, 1 ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press , 2011 Rationale: This book offers an excellent survey of Iraqi history. 3. Required Van De Mieroop, M. . A History of the Ancient Near East, ca. 3000 – 323 BC, 3 ed. Hoboken : Wiley-Blackwell, 2015 4. Required Van De Mieroop, M . A History of Ancient Egypt, 1 ed. Hoboken : Wiley-Blackwell, 2010 Rationale: This book provides students with a good survey of the early history of ancient Egypt. It is an excellent companion to Van de Mieroops book on the Ancient Near East. 5. Required Goldschmidt, A., Davidson, L.. A Concise History of the Middle East, 11 ed. Boulder: Westview Press, 2015 6. Required Brown, D.W.. A New Introduction to Islam, 3 ed. Hoboken : Wiley-Blackwell, 2017 Rationale: This monograph proivides students with a survey of the history of Islam. 7. Required Berkey, J.P.. The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600 – 1800, 1 ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2003 Rationale: This book provides students with a good overview of the early history of Islam. It analyzes the early development of Islam which is a major focus of History 151. 8. Required Egger, V. A History of the Muslim World, to 1405, 1 ed. New York: Routledge , 2016
Other Resources
1. A note about the textbooks listed above is necessary. At this time, there is no college-level textbook that covers the history of the Middle East and North Africa from the Bronze Age to 1500 CE. So, students may be required to buy one book on the pre-Islamic period and another on the Islamic period. Another option is a custom published book, drawing appropriate chapters from textbooks on the Ancient Near East, Ancient Greece and Rome, and the Islamic Middle East. In the case of both options, instructors should supplement the textbook with relevant primary and secondary source materials to add depth where necessary. Students will read and analyze primary and secondary sources. Thus, instructors may require students to purchase the following: custom readers designed by the instructor, or monographs Or instructors may refer students to sources available on online academic databases or other reputable websites.