12755 - History of Muslim Countries (1)

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Docente: Caterina Bori
  • Credits: 6
  • SSD: L-OR/10
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Anthropology, Religions, Oriental Civilizations (cod. 8493)

    Also valid for First cycle degree programme (L) in History (cod. 0962)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student will be familiar with the main topics of the pre-modern history of Muslim societies. He will be able to discuss them effectively both orally and in writing, using the appropriate terminology and with suitable bibliographic references.

Course contents

Introduction to the History of Muslim Societies.

The course deals with the pre-modern history of muslim societies (7th to 18th centuries) with particular focus on the history of its central, Arabic speaking lands.

Different periods will be presented, each one with its own specific trajectories, as well as its charachteristic religious and political institutions. In particular the formative period of Islam (7th-10th) and the so called "Islamic Middle Period" (11th-15th). An introduction to the formative period of the Ottoman empire will also be provided.

The course aims at:

- introducing the student to the pre-modern history of the Muslim world

- providing the student with useful analitycal tools in order to better understand also contemporary Muslim societies.

 

Readings/Bibliography

For those attending classes:

1) Heinz Halm, Gli Arabi, Il Mulino, 2006.

2) Adam Silverstein, Breve storia dell'Islam, Roma: Carocci editore, 2013.

3) Fred M. Donner, Maometto e le origini dell'Islam, Torino: Einaudi: 2010.

For those non attending classes:

1) Fred M. Donner, Maometto e le origini dell'Islam, Torino, Einaudi: 2010.

2) Alber Hourani, Storia dei popoli arabi, Mondadori (up to the Ottoman Empire included).

3) Edward Said, Orientalismo, traduzione italiana, Bollati Boringhieri, 1991 e varie ristampe .

Useful readings

Ø Haarman, Ulrich (a cura di), Storia del mondo arabo, Torino: Einaudi, 2010.

Ø Hourani, Albert, Storia dei Popoli Arabi, Milano: Mondadori, 1992 (e varie ristampe)

Ø Lapidus, M. Ira, Storia delle società islamiche, Torino: Einaudi, 3 vol., varie ristampe.

Ø Ducellier, Alain-Micheau Françoise, L'Islam e il Medioevo, Bologna: Il Mulino, 2004.

Ø Micheau, Françoise, Les debuts de l'Islam. Nouvelles jalons, Paris : Téraèdre, 2012.

Ø Scarcia Amoretti, Biancamaria, Il Mondo musulmano. Quindici secoli di storia, Roma: Carocci editore, nuova edizione 2013

Ø The New Cambridge History of Islam, Michael Cook (a cura di), Michael Cook, Cambridge - New York : Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Ø The Cambridge History of Turkey, 3 vol., curator vari, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006-2013.

Ø Encyclopaedia Iranica,London-Boston: Routledge, 1982-. Oltre che in copia cartacea in dipartimento è disponibile gratuitamente anche in: http://www.iranicaonline.org/

Ø Encyclopaedia of Islam/Encyclopédie de l'Islam , Brill, seconda e terza edizione

Ø Un sito utile per: http://www.islamic-awareness.org/

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

The exam will be conducted orally and will assess the student's command of the material studied in the course. The students will be required to locate any historical topic dealt with during the course or discussed in the relevant bibliography in time and space. Dates are important annd so are regional contexts.

The student will be assessed according to his/her ability to present and discuss the topics raised, making use of the exam bibliography and the course tools provided.

Top marks (28-30L) will be awarded to students displaying an excellent command of the topic as well as confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.

Average marks (25-27) will be awarded to students who are able to summarise the relevant topics, but do not dispaly anatlytical skills nor a full command of the appropriate terminology.

Low marks (18-24) will be awarded to students displaying a patchy knowledge of the relevant topics and who do not command the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

Teaching tools

Power Point presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Caterina Bori