M?NA2507 – Gunpowder Empires: Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals
Course content
What is today the Middle East, Balkans, Caucasus, Central Asia, Pakistan and India was long dominated by Islamic empires, who shared many cultural reference points, texts, technologies and techniques of ruling. In this course you will learn about the main features of early modern Islamic empires, with an emphasis on the Ottomans, Safavids and Mughals. While the Ottoman polity emerged in Anatolia in 1299, and rose to prominence in the fifteenth century, both the Safavids and Mughals came to power in Iran and northern India respectively in the early sixteenth century. Emphasising the interconnectedness of this part of the world, the circulation of scribes, intellectuals and artists, and also the war-making practices of these three polities, the course tries to give you a historical depth of understanding of the dynamism and flexibility of these Islamic polities before European hegemony.
Learning outcome
The primary objective of the course is to familiarise students with the main political and cultural features of early modern Islamic empires from the Balkans to Bengal, and to realise that they represent much more than a stagnant backwater waiting to be expanded upon by Europeans. The secondary perspective is to provide students with a historical depth that can be used to contextualise contemporary legitimacy claims and the use of imperial history in political discussions. The course does this by providing students with in-depth knowledge of a rich Islamic tradition that shaped and brought together a wide geographic area - one that is markedly different from what is typically emphasised in courses on political Islam.
After having followed this course, you will have:
- gained familiarity with the main developments and institutions of the Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires.
- acquired a grasp of historiographical and social-scientific approaches to explaining the rise and fall of early modern Islamic empires.
- an understanding of how these empires legitimised their rule
- acquired the knowledge and tools you need to understand what ties these empires together historically, and to see contemporary politics in light of these commonalities.
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about?admission requirements and procedures.
Recommended previous knowledge
-
One of the?M?NA-courses at 1000 level (i.e. M?NA1000 – Introduksjon til Midt?sten og Nord-Afrika: historie, samfunn, religion, politikk or M?NA1505 – Midt?stens moderne historie).?
-
Courses in History or Political Science might compensate for lack of area?studies.
A good knowledge of English is recommended.
Teaching
The course is taught through a combination of lectures and seminars organised as 14 classes of 2 hrs each (7 lectures and 7 seminars) throughout the semester.?The course is based on seven segments, each consisting of a set of readings, a two hour lecture and a two hour seminar.
The lectures will focus on giving an overview over the various aspects of the history and historiography of the three empires, while the seminars will be based on group discussions of selected readings from the syllabus.?It is strongly recommended to attend all classes.
Compulsory activities
- Compulsory attendance to?at least 6 out of 7 seminars.
- Attending a seventh is not mandatory but highly recommended.
- 6 reflection papers.
- All students must submit six reflection papers based on the syllabus texts in the course of the term. There will be one for each segment. Each reflection paper should be a small ‘book review’ of a single syllabus text (as indicated in the semester pages), and should not exceed one A4 page. In the papers, the students will give a brief summary of the content of the text, consider how the text relates to the literature on the subject in general, and give a very brief evaluation of how the text contributes to the understanding of the history of the three empires.?
Information about the reflection papers and the deadlines will be given during class and in Canvas. You must submit the reflection papers within the given deadlines, and you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the requirements for the compulsory activities.
Approved compulsory?activities are valid for five semesters.
Valid absence:
If you have valid absence from the compulsory activities, you must submit an application and hand in documentation.?
This is how you apply for valid absence from compulsory activities/compulsory attendance.
Access to teaching:
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
4-hour school exam written and submitted in Inspera.?
You must fulfill the requirements of compulsory activities in order to qualify for taking the exam.
Examination support material
No examination support material is allowed.
Language of examination
You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.