HIST 690 The Medieval Islamic World

This course introduces graduate students to the study of the medieval Islamic world through the major debates about and approaches to its history. We cover the historical origins and development of Islam and Islamic intellectual disciplines, the Islamic Middle East in its Late Antique and Mediterranean contexts, and theoretical orientations to the study of non-western and pre-modern societies. The course welcomes both specialists in Middle Eastern history and historians of other regions. As such, the themes studied throughout the course strike a balance between those focused on internal aspects of Islamic history and those that branch into other areas of world history, particularly connections between the Islamic Middle East, Byzantium, and the Latin West. Perspectives and insights from other historiographical areas that aid us in the study of Middle Eastern history are encouraged and welcome.