90000 - History of Globalization in Early Modern Age

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will know the early modern era from a broad perspective, including historiographical issues deriving from a non-Eurocentric approach, the major fault-lines in global relations, the most significant events in the history of empires and the complex causes of migratory phenomena. Taking an active part in lessons, students will learn to decipher the connections, hang-overs and social, environmental, cultural and religious transformations of the early modern world and have a critical grasp of the questions prompting research on early globalization with its lasting impact on the style of contemporary conflicts and on today's society. The lively learning environment involves analysis of facts, interpretation of models and sources, and links to the geographic and social sciences. Students will acquire a critical methodological approach and apply theoretical models of interpretation to social and institutional processes, identifying the relevant sources.

Course contents

The course will focus on the recent debate on the World History, Global history and Microhistory. It outlines the history of non-European political formations during the early modern period, and it explains how colonial empires were formed, how they were legitimized, how the areas of the world were connected, the origin of the modern slave trade, the economic system created after the fifteenth century, the role of the commercial diasporas, the religious and cultural effects of European expansion and the Western interpretations of the non-European world.

The topics that will be covered during the lessons:

The historiographical debate on Global History-Microhistory

How to provincialize Europe: Early modern and modern history

Genghis Khan and Timur: the formation of Asia

The balance of the world since the end of the fifteenth century: the Chinese space

The balance of the world since the end of the fifteenth century: Japan

The balance of the world since the end of the fifteenth century: the Indian area

The balance of the world since the late fifteenth century: the Persian area and the Safavids

The balance of the world since the end of the fifteenth century: the Ottoman Empire

The balance of the world since the end of the fifteenth century: sub-Saharan Africa

The balances of the world since the end of the fifteenth century: America before Columbus

The spread of religions in the modern world and cultural connections

Look for gold, look for spices

The origins of the idea of mission

Iberian Peninsula and Catholic expansion

The formation of the Portuguese Empire

The formation of the Spanish Empire

Slavery and world trade

The commercial diasporas

The environment and its transformations

The first European classifications of civilizations

The first imperial theories

How Europe has interpreted American indigenous societies

How Europe has interpreted Asia

How Europe has interpreted Africa

The new colonial empires: the Netherlands

The new colonial empires: France

The new colonial empires: Britain

The new theories of empires: the late modern age

British hegemony, world wars and the global economy

The Atlantic revolutions

Readings/Bibliography

All students, students attending or not, must study the following three volumes:

Marco Bellabarba, Vincenzo Lavenia (a cura di), Introduzione alla storia moderna, II ed., Bologna, Il Mulino, 2023 (tranne capp. X-XIII, XV-XVII, XXII-XXIII, XXVI, XXVIII, XXXIV, XXXVIII, XXXIX)

Charles H. Parker, Relazioni globali nell'età moderna, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012

Francesca Trivellato, Microstoria e storia globale, Roma, Officina Libraria, 2023

Furthermore they have to choose 2 books in this list:

Ronnie Po-chia Hsia, Un gesuita nella città proibita. Matteo Ricci 1552-1610, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012

Francisco Bethencourt, Razzismi. Dalle Crociate al XX secolo, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2017

Herbert S. Klein, Il commercio atlantico degli schiavi, Roma, Carocci, 2014

Olivier Pétré-Grenouilleau, La tratta degli schiavi. Saggio di storia globale, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2004

Jeremy D. Popkin, Haiti. Storia di una rivoluzione, Torino, Einaudi, 2020

Toby Green, Per un pugno di conchiglie. L’Africa occidentale dall’inizio della tratta degli schiavi all’Età delle rivoluzioni, Torino, Einaudi, 2019

John H. Elliott, Imperi dell'Atlantico. America britannica e America spagnola, Torino, Einaudi, 2010 (Introduzione poi a scelta una delle seguenti opzioni: 1) parte prima e parte seconda 2) parte seconda e terza 3) parte prima e terza

Francesca Trivellato, Il commercio interculturale. La diaspora sefardita, Livorno e i traffici globali in età moderna, Roma, Viella, 2016

Only non-attending students have to read also this book:

Laura di Fiore, Marco Meriggi, World History. Le nuove rotte della storia, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2011

Only attending students can alternatively write a paper of around 8,000-9,000 word. The theme and the bibliography of the paper must be agreed with the teacher before to start the paper.

Teaching methods

The teacher will use maps, texts and images. Students learn to read sources and to understand spaces and representations in history. Any teaching materials will be made available online in the appropriate section of the University website.

Assessment methods

The oral exam will take place at the end of the course. To evaluate the exam the teacher takes in consideration: the student’s ability to expose the course content with chronology, his/her understanding of the historical concepts, the capacity to orient themselves in the bibliography and to read a source. The student must expose what she/he has learned in a synthetic way and with an appropriate language.

The student who satisfies these requests will have an excellent grade. Those who will simply repeat the information acquired in a mnemonic way and with a language that is not entirely appropriate will have a discrete assessment. The student or the student who will show to know the topics superficially and with some gaps, using inappropriate language, will have a sufficient assessment; those who will be unprepared in the subject will have a negative assessment.

Teaching tools

Attendance to the course may also include participation in seminars promoted by the teacher and any visit to archives and libraries. The teacher can provide sources (also digital sources) in particular on the history of slavery and conversions but also on others topics of the course, depending on the interest of the student.

Office hours

See the website of Giulia Bonazza