Islamic History to 1517

Religious Studies 147 (History 147 and AMES 137)

Course Description

This is a survey course on the transformation of the Middle East into an Islamic civilization and its historical development from the time of Muhammad (570-632 CE) to the early sixteenth century. We cover the rise of Islam, the early Islamic empires, and the process of political fragmentation and cultural continuity in Muslim societies from Spain to North India. Within this wide chronological and geographical framework we focus on the role of Islamic religious thought, institutions, and identities through a select number of particularly revealing biographies and historical case studies.

The main questions raised in this class are:

• How did the Middle East become Islamic? To what extent do the Islamic forms of government, social organization, and culture represent continuity with the conquered territories and what is unique to Islamic society?
• Is there a worldwide unity of Islamic culture?
• How do we come to know the history of Muslim women?
• To what extent should religion be used to explain behavior and developments in history? How does culture influence religion?

The course consists of lecture and discussion periods. For the last month of the class, students will join one of four regional and thematic projects (see weeks XII - XIV) for group presentations and for leading the class discussions for that week. The essay questions for the final exam will be composed in part by the student groups.

Course Requirements and Evaluation

There will be a take-home midterm and a final exam. There is no paper assigned in this class. The semester grade is based on the following:

• Class participation (attendance and discussion in class) 20%
• Take-home midterm exam (questions based on class readings) 20%
• Class presentation 30%
• Final exam (questions given out in advance) 30%

Textbooks

Unless otherwise stated, all textbooks are available at the Penn Book Center
3726 Walnut Street Telephone 222-7600

• Marshall G.S. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam: Conscience and History in a World Civilization, vols. I and II (Chicago, 1974).
• Ira M. Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies (Cambridge, 1988).
• FE Peters, A Reader on Classical Islam (Princeton, 1994).

These books and several others for our course are on reserve in Rosengarten Reading Room in Van Pelt under von Schlegell. Two of the shorter reserve books are highly recommended for those who have no background in Islam. Choose either John Esposito, Islam, The Straight Path (chapters 1-3) or H.A.R. Gibb, Mohammedanism (in spite of its unfortunate title, an excellent book, even for those with some knowledge of Islam).

The Bulk Pack (Reader) is available at University Copy Service, Houston Hall
Telephone: 898-5320 or 898-5574.

Course Outline

Week I: Introduction to Islam. The Middle East before Islam

Readings:

• Lapidus A History of Islamic Societies, pp. 3-10
• Hodgson The Venture of Islam, vol. I, pp. 90-99
• Esposito Islam, The Straight Path, pp. 3-36 (recommended)

Week II: Life of Muhammad, the Qur’an, and a New World Religion

Readings:

• Hodgson The Venture of Islam, vol. I, 146-186
• From the Bulkpack/reader: 1. Qur’an (Koran)2. Al-Kisa’i 3. Ibn Ishaq Hisham 4.Ibn Sa’d

Week III: The Islamic Conquests and the Caliphate

Readings:

• Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, pp. 37-53
• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. I, pp. 187-217
• From reader: 5.Al-Baladhuri and 6.Bishop John of Egypt

Slide Presentation on Islamic Art and Architecture

Readings:

• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. II, pp. 501-531
• From reader: 7. O. Grabar, Formation of Islamic Art (selection)

Week IV: The Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus

Readings:

• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. I, pp. 217-240
• From reader: 8. Tabari, Ziyad, and Hasan al-Basri

Week V: The Shi’ah of ‘Ali and the Abbasid Revolution

Readings:

• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. I, pp. 241-279
• From reader: 9. FE Peters ed."Ali and the Imamate"

The Abbassid Empire from Baghdad

Readings:

• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. I, pp. 280-314; 473-493
• Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, pp. 120-125
• From reader: 10. Ibn Khaldun "Dynasties"

Week VI: Universalistic Aspirations: Elaboration of Religious Law and Ways of Piety

Readings:

• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. I, pp. 315-409
• From reader: 11. Al-Shafi’i 12. Selections from Attar, "Muslim Saints and Mystics"

Judeo-Islamic Culture and Non-Muslims in Islamic Lands

Readings:

• From reader: 27. B. Lewis Jews of Islam 28. P. Fenton "Judaism and Sufism"

Week VII: Abbasid Court Culture and Islamic Philosophy

Readings:

• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. I, pp. 410-472
• From reader: 13.Al-Jahiz Life and Works 14. "Letter from Baghdad"

Slide Presentation of Islamic City Life: Mecca and Medina, Jerusalem, Damascus, Cairo and Beyond

• Take-home midterm due in class.

Week VIII: End of Empire: An Overview of Middle Period Government, Society and Culture

Readings:

• Lapidus, A History of Islamic Societies, pp. 137-161; 181-191;225-237
• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. II, pp. 12-61
• From reader: 15. Nizam al-Mulk 16. Al-Ghazali "Deliverance from Error;"
• Esposito, Islam, chapter II (recommended)

Islamic Economic History

Readings:

• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. II, pp. 62-151

University Break No classes

Week IX : Religious Professions: Law and Mysticism

Readings:

• From reader: 17. David Powers Studies in Qur’an and Hadith 18. M. Ali Manual of Hadith19. Al-Misri 20. Khalil 21. Al-Nawawi 22.Al-Qushayri 23. Najm al-Din Razi 25.Al- Suhrawardi 26. Rumi
• Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, vol. II, pp. 201-254

Week X: Muslim Women and Islamic History

Readings:

• From reader: 29. G. Nashat and J. Tucker Restoring Women to History 30. N. Keddie and B. Baron Women in Middle Eastern History

Group Presentations Begin

Note: I will meet with the four groups outside of class to suggest source material and secondary readings, some of which will be distributed to the class as a whole.

Week XI: Spain and North Africa

Week XII: Iran and Central Asia: Mongols and Timurids

Week XII: Egypt and Syria: The Crusades, Fatimids, and Mamluks

Week Xiv: Turkish Migrations and the Early Ottoman Empire

Questions for the final exam will be handed out in the last week of class.

Case Studies and Suggested Resources

Sign up for one of the four groups below for presentations. The topics included are suggestions. Let me know if you have another specific idea in mind within one of the geographic groups. Begin some general reading over the break - Hodgson and Lapidus.

General Reference:

*Note: Starred items are on reserve in Rosengarten, although not always carded for our class. Check call numbers on the shelves.

R. Roolvink Historical Atlas of the Muslim Peoples (G1786.S1 R6 *)

Brice Historical Atlas of Islam (G1786.S1 H57 1981*)

Jere Bacharach Middle East Studies Handbook (DS61.B3 1984 Available only in Van Pelt Ref.)

R. Stephen Humphreys Islamic History (DS38.3.H85 1991*)

Cambridge History of Islam (DS35.6.C3 all vols. *)

Bosworth Islamic Dynasties (D199.3.I8 no. 5*)

Braudel, F The Mediterranean World 2 vols. trans S. Reynolds

Panel A. Spain and North Africa

Poilitical Regimes: eg.

• Spanish Umayyads

• Berber dynasties

• Kingdom of Granada

or

• World traveller Ibn Battuta

• Life and Work of Ibn Khaldun

• Ibn ‘Arabi and mystical controversy

Spain and North Africa

S. Jayyusi ed. The Legacy of Muslim Spain (DP103.L38 1992 *)

Lapidus 365-409

Hodgson 462-467 and 316-23

Ross Dunn The Adventure of Ibn Battuta (G93.I24 D86 1986 *)

Ibn Battuta in Black Africa

J.M. Abun-Nasr A History of the Maghrib (Cambridge, 1975)

A. Chejne Muslim Spain (Minneapolis, 1974)

T. Glick Islamic and Christian Spain in the Early Middle Ages (Princeton, 1979)

S.H. Nasr Three Muslim Sages (on Ibn ‘Arabi, also see C Addas The Quest for the Red Sulphur; W. Chittick The Sufi Path of Knowledge)

J. Monroe Hispano-Arabic Poetry (Berkeley, 1974)

O. Grabar The Alhambra (London, 1978)

L.P. Harvey Islamic Spain 1250-1500

Burns, R.I. Muslims, Christians and Jews in the Crusader Kingdon of Valencia (DP302.V205 B85 1984)

Reilly, B.F. The Contest of Christian and Muslim Spain (DP99.R37 1992)

Mann, V.B. et al, Convivencia: Jews, Christians and Muslims in Medieval Spain (DS135.S7 C585 1992*)

Ibn Hazm of Cordova (d. 1064) The Ring of the Dove

Panel B. Iran, Central Asia, and North India

• The Mongol Invasions, Dynasties and Conversion to Islam

• World Conquerer Timur (Tamerlane)

• The Court in Herat: Persianate culture

• Memoirs of Babur, Prince and Emporer

• Persian Sufis: Hafiz, Jami, Sana’i

• Sufism and Conversion to Islam in North India

Iran, Central Asia, and North India

Cambridge History of Iran (all vols. shelved in the Middle East Seminar room, 5th floor, Van Pelt)

Relevant Lapidus, and Hodgson II, 391-417; 428-35; 490-95

C. Cahen "The Mongols and the Near East" in RL Wolff and HW Hazard History of the Crusades vol. II (D157. S482 *)

Saunders, J.J. The History of the Mongol Conquests

Grousset The Empire of the Steppe: A History of Central Asia

Baburnama: Memoirs of an Emperor new trans. Thackston

R. Bulliet Islam: The View from the Edge

M. Mazzaoui The Origins of the Safavids

D.N. Wilber The Architecture of Islamic Iran

Lentz, T. and G. Lowry Timur and the Princely Vision: Persian Art and Culture in the 15th c.

Manz, B.F. The Rise and Fall of Tamerlane

Glombek, L. "Tamerlane, Scourge of God" Asian Art 2 (1989), 31-61

Schimmel, A. Mystical Dimensions of Islam (for Persian Sufis ‘Iraqi, Hafiz, and Jami)

Ansari, Abdallah Intimate Conversations

Ikram, S.M. Muslim Rule in India 711-1858

Wink, A. Al-Hind: The Making of the Indo-Islamic World

Biruni Al-Biruni’s India (ca. 1030)

Nizam al-Din Awliya Morals for the Heart

Nizami, K.A. Some Aspects of Religion and Politics in India during the 13th Century (Indian Sufis)

Ahmad, Aziz "The Sufi and the Sultan in pre-Mughal India" Der Islam 38 (1963)

Panel C. Egypt and Syria

• Crusades - Christian and Muslim perspectives

• Saladin (Salah al-Din)

• Shi’i Fatimid dynasty in Egypt

• The Islamic City: City planning in Cairo and Damascus

• Mamluke Egypt and Syria "The Slave Dynasty"

• Jewish communities of the Arab world

• From Arab Poet into Sufi Saint: Ibn al-Farid (d.1235)

Egypt and Syria

S.D. Goitein A Mediterranean Society: The Jewish Communities of the Arab World (Cairo) (D199.3.G58 all vols *)

C. Petry The Civilian Elite of Cairo in the Later Middle Ages

J.L. Abu Lughod Cairo: 1000 Years of the City Victorious

Creswell Muslim Architecture of Egypt

Lapidus Muslim Cities in the Later Middle Ages and Middle Eastern Cities

S. Staffa Conquest and Fusion: Social Evolution of Cairo 642-1850

Vatikiotis, P. The Fatimid Theory of State (also P. Sanders on court ceremony)

Homerin, T.E. From Arab Poet to Sufi Mystic: Ibn al-Farid

Ibn ‘Ata’allah The Book of Wisdom

J. Mann Jews in Egypt and Palestine under the Fatimid Caliphs

Peters, F.E. Jerusalem

Armstrong, Karen Jerusalem: One City Three Faiths

R.S. Humphreys From Saladin to the Mongols (Damascus)

F. Gabrieli Arab Historians of the Crusades

Makhlouf The Crusades through Arab Eyes

Wolff and Hazard History of the Crusades (*)

Usamah b. Munqidh Memoirs of a Syrian Arab Prince

Panel D: Turkish Migrations, Anatolia, Early Ottomans, Balkans and the West

• Anatolia: Early Muslim regimes and the Ottomans

• Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273) and the Mevlevi Dervishes

• Conquest of Constantinople

• Janissary corps

• Islam and the West

• Trade

• Orientalism and Occidentalism

Turkish Migrations, Anatolia, Early Ottomans, Balkans and the West

C. Cahen Pre-Ottoman Anatolia

C. Chittick The Sufi Path of Love (on Jalal al-Din Rumi, also A. Schimmel, I am Wind, You are Fire)

H. Inalcik The Ottoman Empire: The Classical Age

N. Itzkowitz The Ottoman Empire and Islamic Tradition

S. Runciman The Fall of Constantinople

H.T. Norris Islam in the Balkans: Religion and Society between Europe and the Arab World (DR23.N67 1993)

J. Birge The Bektashi Order of Dervishes

B. Lewis Istanbul and the Civilization of the Ottoman Empire

G. Goodwin A History of Ottoman Architecture

Goodwin, G. The Janissaries

D. Vaughan Europe and the Turk: A Pattern of Alliance

Edward Said Orientalism (DS12.S24 1978*)

Norman Daniel Islam and the West (BP172. D3 1993 *)

Rodinson, M. Europe and the Mystique of Islam

L. Pierce The Ottoman Harem

For Your Preparation:

• Start with the Web, including the Encyclopedia Britannica quick reference, maps, charts of dynasties, and Hodgson and Lapidus indexes.

• When encountering a new term or personage, check in the Encyclopaedia of Islam (new ed.) which goes to the letter "S." For later letters use the first edition. Most entries are under the Arabic word. Note the usual "Q" as in "Qur’an" is "K" with an under-dot and "J" as in "jahiz" is "DJ" in the European system used by the editors. Omit the definite article "al-." Two sets of the work are in Van Pelt: one in the Middle East Seminar Room, 5th floor and another in the Reference room.

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