HISTORY 151

HISTORY 151: Islamic and European Civilization in the Middle Ages

Spring 2003

Instructor: Rosalind C. Hays

Office: 309 Lewis (Office hours 10-11 TR; 9:45-11 WF and by appointment)

Phone: (708)-524-6836 [office]; (708)-386-7141 [home]

email: haysrosc@email.dom.edu

Course Goals

History 151 constructs a comparative history of medieval European and Islamic civilizations before c. 1500 CE, emphasizing changing social institutions and the history of thought. By the end of the course students should be able to

Demonstrate (in writing and in discussion) the ability to think historically
Demonstrate (in writing and discussion) familiarity with major problems and interpretations in this history of each of the two civilizations and to compare them
Demonstrate (in writing and in discussion) familiarity with factual information and vocabulary important for understanding both medieval Islamic and European civilization
Demonstrate (in writing and in discussion) the ability to evaluate critically primary source materials and to use such materials to construct an historical argument

BOOKS (available in the Bookstore)

Herlihy, David (ed.). Medieval Culture and Society. Prospect Heights: Waveland Press, 1993.

Hourani, Albert. A History of the Arab Peoples. Boston: Warner Books, 1992.

McNeill, William H. and Marilyn Robinson Waldman (eds.). The Islamic World. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1973.

Rosenwein, Barbara H. A Short History of the Middle Ages. Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press, 2002.

TENTATIVE CALENDAR

(Minor changes in the calendar may respond to the process of classroom discussion, etc. Students who complete the reading and writing as detailed below will be up-to-date.)

R January 16	Introduction

T January 21	The medieval inheritance. Read Rosenwein, chap. 1 (11-36); handout; writing assignment
R January 23	Early European monasticism; patterns of conversion. Read "The founding of Monte Casino" and "Clovis and the vase of Soissons" in Herlihy (pp 67-93 and 93-5); writing assignment

T January 28	Early medieval Europe, cont. Read Rosenwein, chaps 2-3 (39-82)
R January 30	Rural Europe at the time of Charlemagne. Read "The Carolingian capitualary" and "The inventory of a Carolingian manor" (Herlihy, pp 42-55); writing assignment

T February 4	The founding of Islam: Muhammad. Read Hourani, pp 1-5 and 14-21; Ibn-Ishậq (McNeill, pp 13-27); the Qur'ận (McNeill, pp 27-32) writing assignment
R February 6	The Qur'ận, continued (McNeill, pp 32-36, 47-57, 65-7); writing assignment

T February 11	The formation of the early Islamic world. Read Hourani, chapters 2-3 (pp 22-58).
R February 13	Literary evidence. Read Jậhiz (McNeill, pp 110-1, 119-34); Tanủkhỉ (McNeill, pp 86-93);writing assignment

T February 18	Literary evidence, continued. Read Tanủkhỉ (McNeill, pp 93-110); Mutanabbỉ (McNeill, pp 171-77); writing assignment.
R February 20	First hour examination

T February 25	The articulation of Islam: the shari'a. Read Hourani, pp 59-69 and Shậfi'ỉ (McNeill, pp 134-42); writing assignment
R February 27	The articulation of Islam, continued. Read Hourani, pp 69-79 and Farậbỉ (McNeill, pp 166-71); writing assignment
March 3-8	Spring Break

T March 11	Political communities reordered. Read Rosenwein, pp 83-101. Literary evidence of European change. Read Beowulf (Herlihy, pp 126-44) and "The Song of Roland" (Herlihy, pp 254-69); writing assignment
R March 13	The European take-off: the revival of trade. Read Rosenwein, pp 113-8 and documents in Herlihy (pp 176-85); writing assignment

T March 18	The crusades and the interaction of Islamic and European civilizations: Read Rosenwein, pp 119-23 and Usậma (McNeill, pp 185-206); writing assignment
R March 20	Europe: new forms of thought and religious expression. Read Rosenwein, pp 123-36 and Abelard (Herlihy pp 190-207); writing assignment

T March 25	The continued development of Europe; the culture of the court. Read Rosenwein, chapter 6 (pp 137-60) and troubadour lyric and Tristan (Herlihy, pp 229-34 and 269-81); writing assignment
R March 27	"Discordant harmonies." Read Rosenwein, chapter 7 (pp 161-81); the culture of the universities (Herlihy, pp 207-28); writing assignment

T April 1	Second hour exam
R April 3	Lecture. Read Hourani, chap 6 (pp 98-108)

T April 8	Cities in the Arab-Muslim world. Read Hourani, chapters 7-8 (pp 109--46); writing assignment
R April 10	Ways of Islam. Read Hourani, chap 9 (pp 147-57); Sufi poetry: Rủmỉ (McNeill, pp 239-47)

T April 15	The culture of the 'ulama. Read Hourani, chap 10 (pp 158-71) and Ghazậlỉ (McNeill, pp 207-39)
April 17-20	Easter weekend, no classes

T April 22	The end of the middle ages: Hourani, chapter 11 (pp 172-88) and pp 199--205; Rosenwein, chapter 8 (pp 183-204)
R April 24	Read Dante and Boccaccio (Herlihy, pp 314-31; and 351-8); writing assignment

T April 29	Read Chaucer (Herlihy, pp 361-84); writing assignment
R May 1	The conquest of Constantinople (Kristovoulos in Herlihy, pp 312-36); review.

T May 6	FINAL EXAMINATION, 8:00-10:00 AM (scheduled by the registrar)

THE WORK OF THE COURSE

Attendance and participation in class discussion 15%

Writing assignments and quizzes 30%

Two hour examinations (15% each) 30%

Final examination 25%

Assigned readings will be the basis of all writing assignments. I'll distribute a separate sheet for each assignment, raising questions about individual sources (or several sources) for you to discuss relatively informally. Many assignments will ask you to evaluate the reliability and value of a primary source (or sources) in addition to asking you to use primary sources as evidence to answer questions about the past; others will ask you to summarize and raise questions about sections in the secondary (modern) sources.

All writing assignments, however informal, must give proper credit for the words and thinking of other writers through the appropriate use of quotations and citations.