A survey of the history of the Middle East from the emergence of Islam to our own age. Main themes will include the life and teachings of Muhammad, the Arab conquests, varieties of Islamic thought, principal medieval Arab kingdoms, the Seljuk and Ottoman Turkish empires, and the rise of modern Arab, Jewish and Iranian nationalism. Special emphasis will be given to the origins and nature of the Arab-Israeli and Lebanese conflicts and to the Islamic revival. Examines the histories of China and Japan. Special attention is given to institutional and cultural development.
Lectures also explore the impact of Europe and America on traditional ways of life.
The last section of the course focuses on war and revolution in southeast Asia. A survey of the history and geography of sub-Saharan Africa. Special attention is given to the peoples and cultures of the tropical region and of Southern Africa. Lectures and readings also focus on European colonialism, independence movements of the twentieth century, and the rise and fall of Apartheid. An examination of the world as a whole over the last 125 years.