Dr. Elizabeth Frierson

In this combined undergraduate and graduate discussion-based course,  we will study the political,  intellectual, and social history and historiography of the Ottoman Empire from its founding in the 1300’s through its destruction in the aftermath of World War I.

We will read the classic and new historiography of these critically important Eurasian and North African empires, develop analytical skills within the context of incomplete or contradictory evidence,  and refine narrative skills within the context of complex and occasionally controversial understanding of past events.

We will incorporate comparative and interdisciplinary understandings of imperial ideologies and governmental practices into our studies, and develop a greater understanding of the different methods of political history, intellectual history, and social history,  as each of these is informed and transformed by sociology, political science, economics,  law, women’s and gender studies.

Embedded in the course are the goals of learning how to study, write,  and speak about the Middle East and North Africa.

This is a split-level Undergraduate/Graduate course cross-listed with HIST 6050.