Spring Courses

Banner Credit: Marrakesh, Morocco. Photograph by Luke Yarbrough.

Spring 2022

  • Arabic 250: Seminar in Pre-modern Literature

    Instructor: Michael Cooperson

  • Archeol M112/ MES M112 / Islamic M112 / Art His M119D: Art and Archaeology of Christian and Islamic Egypt

    Instructor: Katherine S. Burke

    The culture of Egypt transformed quite gradually after the Muslim conquest in the mid-7th century CE. According to material evidence such as ceramics, textiles, architectural forms, and building techniques, it is functionally impossible to separate pre-Islamic Christian Egypt from early Islamic Egypt. And, although the population may have become largely Muslim by the 10th century, Egypt remained “Coptic” in many senses even until the 14th century, and retains a sizeable Christian minority to the present. This course will survey the archaeological remains and standing architecture of Egypt from the 6th century to the 19th, charting changes and continuities in material culture, and issues of religious identity in archaeology.

  • HIST 105C: Survey of Middle East, 500 to Present: 1700 to Present

    Instructor: James Gelvin

    Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Background and circumstances of rise of Islam, creation of Islamic Empire, and its development. Rise of Dynastic Successor States and Modern Nation States. Social, intellectual, political, and economic development. P/NP or letter grading.

  • HIST 109B: History of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, 1881 to Present

    Instructor: James Gelvin

    Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Examination of origins of Arab-Israeli dispute from mid-19th century through founding of state of Israel and expulsion/flight of three quarters of million Palestinians from their homes. Exploration of social history of Palestine up to Zionist colonization, origins of Zionism and Palestinian nationalism, varieties of Zionism, Zionism and colonialism, seminal events and their consequent symbolic connotations Great Revolt and 1948 nakba (disaster), construction of national consensus in Israel, 1967 and its aftermath, intifada, and redefinition of conflict as result of Oslo. P/NP or letter grading.

  • HIST 165 – Topics in African History (Tentative)

    Instructor: Ghislaine Lydon

    Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour (when scheduled). Designed for juniors/seniors. Examination of specific historical themes and/or major issues in African history. May be repeated for maximum of 16 units with topic and/or instructor change. P/NP or letter grading.

  • HIST C201N – Topics in History: Africa (Tentative)

    Instructor: Ghislaine Lydon

    Seminar, three hours. Designed for graduate students. Reading and discussion of selected topics. May be repeated for credit. May be concurrently scheduled with course C191J. S/U or letter grading.

  • IRANIAN 140 – Persian Belles Lettres (Adabiyyat) (Tentative)

    Instructor: Domenico Ingenito

    Lecture, three hours. Requisite: course 102C. Study of major Persian poets and prose writers: prose–Sohravardi, Hamadâni, Nasafi, Irâqi, and others; poetry–Hâfez, Sa’di, Rûmi, Bahâr, Dehkhoda, and others. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor. P/NP or letter grading.

  • IRANIAN 221 – Rumi, Mystic Poet of Islam (Tentative)

    Instructor: Domenico Ingenito

    Seminar, three hours. Requisite: course 220A or 220B. Study of life and works of Rumi in context of interaction of Sufism and poetic creativity. May be repeated twice for credit.

  • ISLM ST 291A – Variable Topics in Islamic Studies (Tentative)

    Instructor: Luke Yarbrough

    Seminar, three hours. Selected topics on Islam. May be repeated for credit with topic change. S/U or letter grading.

  • ISLM ST M115/ RELIGN M115 – Islam and Other Religions (Tentative)

    Instructor: Luke Yarbrough

    Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Students gain familiarity with historical cases and modes of interaction between Muslims and non-Muslims in plural societies. Consideration of axis questions such as how does Qur’an reflect religious plurality; how does it situate Islam vis-à-vis its alternatives; what encounters did rapid expansion of Islam bring about in diverse societies; how did Islam and other religions change through debate, war, and exchange of ideas; what roles has political power played in conditioning interreligious interaction; how have conversion and hybridity affected what it means to be Muslim; what is different about interreligious interactions in secular states and societies; and how is past invoked to justify opinions and policies today. Investigation of these questions by conducting microstudies: close readings of sources through theoretical lens. P/NP or letter grading.