Global Arc

This course provides an overview of North African history from the 16th to the 19th century, namely from the Ottoman conquest of Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, to the beginning of the European colonization in this area. Through a range of secondary and primary sources, we will start by understanding to what extent Maghrib is a medieval and an Islamic legacy. We will also analyze the ways the administrations and the political cultures were shaped by the various experiences of Islamic powers and how the links to Europe, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa were redefined and still affect the way we conceive this area.

Although the Middle East is often seen as exceptional, it is part of our globe: through connections and in being part of worldwide processes. This seminar's double goal is to study the Middle East from this perspective, and thereby also to explore how the modern world emerged. We will use Irye, Osterhammel, and Rosenberg, ed., A History of the World, 2 vols., covering 1870 to the present, as the backbone of the course; and in parallel read case studies on the Middle East in the world, including global cultural patterns, social webs, economic ties, imperial action, state building and international system, and the spread of political ideas.

An exercise in comparative history and the application of theoretical constructs to historical events. Examines a range of theories of nationalism, state, and empire; applies them to the historical records of three multi-ethnic dynastic empires--the Ottoman, Russian, and Austro-Hungarian; explores the ways in which theories can both elucidate and obscure historical processes. Questions of the nature of empire, the rise of nationalism, and the processes of imperial collapse, among others, will be explored. One three-hour seminar.

Ancient near eastern literature constitutes a universe of cultural spheres - be they legal, religious, historical or literary - each of which harbors a repertory of genres that have developed through an ongoing engagement with this sphere. The concept of genre proves to be of a dynamic nature always adapting itself to the message, function and performative context of the text. In this course we will look at a range of central texts of ancient near eastern literature and analyze them with theoretically and conceptually conceived underpinnings.

In this seminar we shall be looking at aspects of the relations between the Church and the Empire in Late Antiquity. Special attention will be given to early and late antique Christian views of the Empire and the role of the emperor, to the age of Constantine and the political theology of Eusebius of Caesarea, and to the subsequent manifestation of the Eusebean conception of the emperor during the reign of Justinian in the 6th century. Primary sources in translation (legal texts, patristic literature, acts of Church councils) will be studied in the light of secondary literature.

This course introduces a concise look on modern Turkish literature predominantly through short stories. It aims to provide a sample of Turkish literary writing and basic knowledge of its actors and works. The reading list is naturally shaped by the limited number of English translations available, nevertheless it will offer a colorful picture of diverse authors, their works, literary themes and styles, as well as social, political and cultural issues in Turkey during the last century.

This course will cover about two thirds of the Qur'anic text in the English translation of Kenneth Cragg, which has the advantage for an initial study of organizing the Qur'anic passages according to broad themes. The course aims at bringing the student as close as possible to the Arabic original and will draw extensively on traditional exegesis (tafsir) as well as critical Qur'anic scholarship. No previous study of Islam is required.

The major Near Eastern abd Balkan diplomatic crises, the main developments in internal Near Eastern history, and the Eastern Question as perceived by the Great Powers. The focus will be on the possible connections between diplomatic crises and the process of modernization. One three-hour seminar.

Since 9/11, madrasas have often been viewed as sites of indoctrination into Islamic radicalism. This seminar seeks to examine the broad range of institutions to which the term "madrasa" refers in modern Muslim societies, as well as other related institutions of Islamic education. Addresses the transformations they have undergone since the 19th century, and how these institutions shape and are shaped by Muslim politics in varied contexts. One three-hour seminar.

An analysis of political, economic, and social institutions with emphasis on the problems of continuity and change, the factors allowing for and limiting Ottoman expansion, and Ottoman awareness of Europe. Two 90-minute classes.