History of the world to 1500

This course surveys the course of human civilisations across the globe from the dawn of history to the start of the Sixteenth Century. Given the breadth of its content, we will focus on general themes and trends that characterise human societies, pointing to commonalities that underscore the shared origins of mankind. Occasionally, we will explore significant developments in religion and political theory that shaped the course of human history. By the end of the course, we will understand better the world on the eve of modernity, which will lay the foundations for a better appreciation of the subsequent centuries of gradual globalisation.

Course grades will be assigned on the basis of several elements:

1. in-class quizzes (30% total)—a map quiz and six quizzes (lowest grade dropped) on critical terms (e.g., Indus Valley civilisation, Muḥammad, Chengīz Khān);
2. mid-term examination (20%)—in-class examination mid-way through the semester;
3. final examination (30%)—in-class examination over the entirety of the semester’s content, including questions on critical terms and essay questions;
4. class participation (20%)—contribution to in-class and online discussions and attendance, critical to a successful experience (students with over three absences lose their entire participation grade; each additional two absences result in a letter-grade penalty off of the overall course grade).

This division of factors aims to give all students a fair chance at a good grade by avoiding too much emphasis on one examination method. Nevertheless, since a significant share of the grade (20%) derives from participation, this means that you must attend and participate in class to get a good grade. The key to good participation is reading the assigned texts, so come prepared!

Each student has the opportunity to submit up to five extra credit response papers to announced events that take place throughout the semester.

The following texts are required for this course and can be purchased at the bookstore. Those looking to save money can purchase used (or ‘like new’) copies of all of these books online. They are also accessible on course reserve at the library or, sometimes, available for free electronically through databases on the library website.

Recommended texts for further readings

The following texts are recommended for those interested in doing further reading on the subject. These books are not required for purchase, but are available at the bookstore. They are also available for free on course reserve at the library. Even though these books are recommended, you are still responsible for doing any required reading from these texts.

Readings from course textbooks appear in small caps. All other readings include full bibliographical citations and are available electronically on the class website. It is highly recommended that you prepare in advance by downloading and/or printing all online readings at the beginning of the course, so that you can concentrate on reading them over the semester. While ‘recommended reading’ are not obligatory, they may be useful when preparing research papers (those with an asterisk (*) are highly encouraged). Primary source readings are noted below.

I. Introduction to the ancient world

1. Introduction to world history

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 1–10.
• Examine the class primer (always review relevant materials and bring the primer to each class).

2. The Agrarian revolution

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 11–37.

3. From cities to empires

Map quiz

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 38–62.

4. The Ancient Near Eastern ‘cradle of civilisation’

Quiz #1

Required reading:

• Roberts and Westad, History, 51–87.
• Glenn Stanfield Holland, Gods in the desert: Religions of the ancient Near East (Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2009), 15–36, 111–130, 199–218.

5. Migrations of ancient peoples

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 63–86.

II. Regional civilisations and confessional religions

6. Africa and the Americas

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 87–115.

7. Ancient civilisations in South and East Asia

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 116–145.

8. The Ancient Mediterranean world

Quiz #2

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 146–176.

9. The Rise of confessional religions

Required reading:

• Marshall Goodwin Simms Hodgson, The Venture of Islam: Conscience and history in a world civilization, vol. 1, The Classical age of Islam (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974), 3–69, 103–145.
• Shmuel Noah Eisenstadt, ‘Introduction: The Axial Age breakthroughs—Their characteristics and origins’, in Axial Age civilizations, ed. Eisenstadt, 1–25.

10. The Israelites and the development of monotheism

Required reading:

• Raymond P Scheindlin, A Short history of the Jewish people (New York City: Oxford University Press, 1998), 1–49.
• Shmuel Noah Eisenstadt, ‘Introduction: The Axial Age breakthrough in ancient Israel’, in Axial Age civilizations, ed. Eisenstadt, 127–134.
• Jan Assmann, ‘Monotheism and polytheism’, in Ancient religions, ed. Sarah Iles Johnston (Cambridge/London: Harvard Univiersity Press, 2007), 17–31.

III. Empires, religions, and cross-cultural interactions

11. Græco-Roman civilisation and empire

Required reading:

• Roberts and Westad, History, 201–245.
• Shmuel Noah Eisenstadt, ‘Introduction: The Axial Age breakthrough in ancient Greece’, in Axial Age civilizations, ed. Eisenstadt, 29–39.

12. Sāsānian Iran and the absolutist tradition

Quiz #3

Required reading:

• Lapidus, History, 10–15.
• Marshall Goodwin Simms Hodgson, The Venture of Islam: Conscience and history in a world civilization, vol. 1, The Classical age of Islam (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974), 137–145.

13. The Birth of Islam

Required reading:

• Lapidus, History, 26–45.
• aṭ-Ṭabarī, The History of al-Ṭabarī, transl. William Montgomery Watt and Michael V McDonald, vol. 6, Muḥammad at Mecca (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989), 67–76. [Primary source]
• Qurʾān 96.1–19 (Sūrat al-ʿAlaq). [Primary source]

14. Mid-term examination

Mid-term examination

15. The Arab-Islamic conquests in global perspective

Required reading:

• Lapidus, History, 46–64.
• Hugh N Kennedy, The Great Arab conquests: How the spread of Islam changed the world we live in, 1st ed. (Philadelphia: Da Capo Press, 2007), 363–376.
• Fred McGraw Donner, ‘The Islamic conquests’, in A Companion to the history of the Middle East, ed. Youssef M Choueiri (Malden/Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 2005), 28–51.

16. The Middle East and Europe

Required reading:

Quiz #4

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 177–210.

17. Cultures of the Silk Route

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 211–235.

18. States and societies of the Americas and Africa

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 236–260.

IV. Fragmentation and re-consoldiation

19. Fragmentation of the European world

Quiz #5

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 261–291.

20. Fragmentation of the Islamic world

Required reading:

• Lapidus, History, 85–91, 177–207.

21. Fragmentation and consolidation in South and East Asia

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 292–320.

22. Indigenous empires and civilisations

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 321–348.

23. The Mongol conquest of the world

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 349–381.
• David Orrin Morgan, ‘The Mongol Empire in world history’, in Beyond the legacy of Genghis Khan, ed. Linda Komaroff (Leiden: E J Brill, 2013), 425–437.

V. Towards modernity

24. European progress towards modernity

Quiz #6

Required reading:

• Coatsworth, et al., Global connections, 382–406.

25. Rise of the ‘gunpowder empires’

Required reading:

• Lapidus, History, 331–340, 377–386.
• Marshall Goodwin Simms Hodgson, The Venture of Islam: Conscience and history in a world civilization, vol. 3, The Gunpowder empires and modern times (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974), 3–15.

26. The World on the eve of modernity

Required reading:

• Lapidus, History, 490–510.
• Roberts and Westad, History, 513–533.

27. Final examination

Final examination