Islamic Middle East
History 355 / RGS 355
Fall 2014
Course Syllabus
Instructor
Dr.
Zackery M. Heern, PhD
Email:
zheern@murraystate.edu
Phone:
270-809-6585
Office Hours: TBA
Office:
Faculty Hall 6B #4
Note: This syllabus is subject
to change at the instructor’s discretion. It is the responsibility of each
student to note any changes. All changes will be posted on Blackboard.
Course Description:
History
of the Middle East from the 7th century to the 18th century. The course will
examine the apostleship of Muhammad, the question of succession and the
Sunni-Shi‘i schism, the government, society, and culture of the High Caliphate,
the decline of Arab power and the rise of the Turks, the Islamic perspective of
the Crusades, and the revival of Islamic power under the Gunpowder Empires.
(Same as RGS 355.)
Textbooks and Readings:
Vernon O. Egger. A
History of the Muslim World to 1405: The Making of a Civilization (New
Jersey: Pearson, 2004)
Jonathan P. Berkey. The
Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600-1800
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009)
Additional readings and films will be posted on Canvas.
These readings are required!
Course Requirements:
Reading Analyses and Discussion. Nearly every week we
will have a discussion on the readings for that week. The discussion will take
place on Canvas and in class - usually on Thursdays.
Each student will prepare for the discussion by writing an
analysis of the readings for that week, which should be approximately 300-600
words (roughly 1-2 pages). The response will be posted to Canvas. Each student
is required to write 10 reading analyses.
The analysis should be a combination of summarizing the readings and analyzing
them. A section of the analysis must compare and contrast the readings. It is
also important that you pick out the most prominent themes discussed in the
readings.
To receive full credit, students will also post at least two
comments on responses posted by classmates. Additionally, each student will
give a short oral report at the beginning of the discussion describing her/his
reaction to the readings.
Papers. Each
student will write three papers for this class. Each paper must be on a
different topic.
Paper 1: Book
Review. Write a review
(roughly 800 words, 3 pages) of a book taken from a list that I will provide.
Paper 2:
Bibliographic Paper. Write a
bibliographic paper (1,300 words, 5 pages) on one of the 15 topics of the
course. The bibliography must include at least 2 books and 2 journal articles.
Paper 3: Research
Paper. The term paper (2,800,
10 pages) will be based on research of primary and secondary sources.
The topic will be chosen in consultation with me, but must be directly related
to the subject matter of the course. As part of the research paper students
will submit an annotated bibliography, an introduction, and an outline prior to
the due date of the paper. The bibliography must include at least 3 books, 3
journal articles, and primary source material.
Participation and
Attendance. Students will receive a participation grade. As long as you
regularly attend class and make a positive contribution to it, you will receive
points for participation.
If a student misses 5
or more classes, his or her final grade will automatically be dropped by a
letter grade. If a student misses 10 or
more classes she or he will receive an E for the final grade.
Students who show up after roll is called will be marked
late if they remind me after class. Students will receive half credit for being
late and two tardies will be equated with one absence.
Students will lose points for cell-phone use or other inappropriate
behavior in the classroom. Computers in the classroom are only to be used for
note taking.
Canvas will be
used extensively for this class. I will post announcements regarding changes in
the syllabus and class schedule on Canvas. I will also use Canvas to post
grades, etc. Please check it regularly.
Grade: (Your grade will be calculated as follows with
the typical percentages equated to letter grades: 90%-100% = A, etc.)
Participation and Attendance: 100
Reading Analyses: 250 (25 for each discussion)
Paper 1: 150
Paper 2: 200
Paper 3: 300
________________________________
Total: 1,000
Meeting
I will be available to meet with you regularly. Please come
to my office hours as often as you would like. It is my job to help you succeed
in this class. I am ready and eager to help you. You can contact me in the
following ways:
- Office
Hours
- Email:
Feel free to email me at zheern@murraystate.edu.
- Phone:
270-809-6585. If you are unable to come to office hours please call me.
STATEMENT OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Murray State University endorses the intent of all federal
and state laws created to prohibit discrimination. Murray State University does
not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual
orientation, religion, age, veteran status, or disability in employment,
admissions, or the provision of services and provides, upon request, reasonable
accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford
individuals with disabilities equal access to participate in all programs and
activities. For more information, contact Director of Equal Opportunity, 103
Wells Hall. 270-809-3155 (voice), 270-809-3361 (TDD).
Cheating
Murray State University prohibits cheating, which includes
plagiarism. If a student is charged with academic dishonesty, an E may be
recorded as the final grade and the student will be reported to her/his
department. For the university academic honesty policy, see below for more
details.
ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY
Murray State University takes
seriously its moral and educational obligation to maintain high standards of
academic honesty and ethical behavior. Instructors are expected to evaluate
students’ academic achievements accurately, as well as ascertain that work
submitted by students is authentic and the result of their own efforts, and
consistent with established academic standards. Students are obligated to
respect and abide by the basic standards of personal and professional
integrity.
Violations of Academic
Honesty include:
Cheating - Intentionally
using or attempting to use unauthorized information such as books, notes, study
aids, or other electronic, online, or digital devices in any academic exercise;
as well as unauthorized communication of information by any means to or from
others during any academic exercise.
Fabrication and Falsification
- Intentional alteration or invention of any information or citation in an
academic exercise. Falsification involves changing information whereas
fabrication involves inventing or counterfeiting information.
Multiple Submission - The
submission of substantial portions of the same academic work, including oral
reports, for credit more than once without authorization from the instructor.
Plagiarism - Intentionally
or knowingly representing the words, ideas, creative work, or data of someone
else as one’s own in any academic exercise, without due and proper
acknowledgement.
Instructors should outline their
expectations that may go beyond the scope of this policy at the beginning of
each course and identify such expectations and restrictions in the course
syllabus. When an instructor receives evidence, either directly or indirectly,
of academic dishonesty, he or she should investigate the instance. The faculty
member should then take appropriate disciplinary action.
Disciplinary action may include,
but is not limited to the following:
1) Requiring the student(s) to
repeat the exercise or do additional related exercise(s).
2) Lowering the grade or failing
the student(s) on the particular exercise(s) involved.
3) Lowering the grade or failing
the student(s) in the course.
If the disciplinary action
results in the awarding of a grade of E in the course, the student(s) may not
drop the course.
Faculty reserve the right to
invalidate any exercise or other evaluative measures if substantial evidence
exists that the integrity of the exercise has been compromised. Faculty also
reserve the right to document in the course syllabi further academic honesty
policy elements related to the individual disciplines.
A student may appeal the
decision of the faculty member with the department chair in writing within five
working days. Note: If, at any point in this process, the student alleges that
actions have taken place that may be in violation of the Murray State
University Non-Discrimination Statement, this process must be suspended and the
matter be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity. Any appeal will be
forwarded to the appropriate university committee as determined by the Provost.
http://www.murraystate.edu/HeaderMenu/Administration/Provost/AcademicCouncil
Tentative
Course Schedule:
Part
1: Formation of Islamic Middle East: 600-750
Week 1: August 19
Introduction and Pre-Islamic Middle East
Readings: Syllabus; Egger, Origins, pp. xi-20; Berkey, The
Near East before Islam, pp. 1-54
Introductions
Due
Week 2: August 26
Topic 1: Pre-Islamic Middle East
Readings: Egger, Origins, pp. xi-20; Berkey, The Near East
before Islam, pp. 1-54
Reading
Analysis 1 Due
Week 3: Sep 2
Topic 2: Muhammad and Islamic Origins
Readings: Egger, Rise of Islam, pp. 20-31; Berkey, The
Emergence of Islam, pp. 55-69
Reading
Analysis 2 Due
Week 4: Sep 9
Topic 3: Arab Conquests and Umayyad Caliphate
Readings: Egger, Arab Imperialism, pp. 33-60; Berkey, The
Emergence of Islam, pp. 70-82
Reading
Analysis 3 Due
Week 5: Sep 16
Topic 4: Sunni-Shi‘i Split and ‘Abbasid Revolution
Readings: Egger, Development of Sectarianism pp. 62-84;
Berkey, The Emergence of Islam, pp. 83-110
Reading
Analysis 4 Due
Part
2: Classical Islamic Middle East: 750-1250
Week 6: Sep 23
Topic 5: Abbasid, Fatimid, Umayyad Caliphates
Readings: Egger, The Center Cannot Hold: 3 Caliphates, pp.
85-112; Berkey, The Consolidation of Islam, pp. 111-140
Reading
Analysis 5 Due
Week 7: Sep 30 (Oct. 2 and 3 No class for fall break)
Catch up or Film
Paper 1 Due
Week 8: Oct 7
Topic 6: Islamic Law and Mysticism
Readings: Egger, Synthesis and Creativity, pp. 114-127;
Berkey, The Consolidation of Islam, pp. 141-176
Reading
Analysis 6 Due
Week 9: Oct 14 (Oct 13 Midterm Grades Due)
Topic 7: Islamic Theology, Philosophy, Art, and Science
Readings: Egger, Synthesis and Creativity, pp. 127-138
See
Canvas: Ahmad Dallal, “Science, Medicine, and Technology,” 155-214, Majid
Fakhry, “Philosophy and Theology” 269-304 in John L. Esposito, The Oxford History of Islam
Reading
Analysis 7 Due
Week 10: Oct 21
Topic 8: Political Decentralization
Readings: Egger, Filling the Vacuum of Power, pp. 139-144,
154-161; Berkey, 177-198
Reading
Analysis 8 Due
Part 3: Middle
Period of Islamic Middle East: 1250-1750
Week 11: Oct 28
Topic 9: Saljuqs and Islamic Spain
Readings: Egger, Filling the Power Vacuum, pp. 145-153,
162-170,
See
Canvas for additional Reading
Paper 2
Due
Reading
Analysis 9 Due
Week 12: Nov 4
Topic 10: Islam, Christendom, and Crusades
Readings: Egger, Barbarians at the Gates, pp. 172-188,
Berkey, 198-202
See
Canvas: Jane Smith, “Islam and Christendom” in John L. Esposito, The Oxford History of Islam.
Reading
Analysis 10 Due
Week 13: Nov 11
Topic 11: Mongols and Mamluks
Readings: Egger, Barbarians at the Gates, pp. 188-198, and
The Great Transformation, 257-288,
See
Canvas for Additional Reading
Reading
Analysis 11 Due
Bibliography
and Intro for Final Paper
Week 14: Nov 18
Topic 12: Intellectual and Religious Life in the Middle Period
Readings: Egger, Consolidation of the Traditions, pp.
199-227, The Muslim Commonwealth, 229-255, and Unity and Diversity in Islamic
Traditions, pp. 290-317; Berkey, Medieval Islam, pp. 203-257
Reading
Analysis 12 Due
Week 15: Nov 25 (Nov 26-28 Thanksgiving)
Catch up or Film
Week 16: Dec 2
Topic 13: Ottoman and Safavid Empires
Readings: Berkey, pp. 261-269,
See
Canvas: Gelvin, Gunpowder Empires
Reading
Analysis 13 Due
Finals Week: Dec. 10-14
Paper 3 Due: Wednesday Dec. 10 @ 5pm
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