Pirates/Soldiers/Diplomats

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

The course examines the relationship between the Islamic World and Europe under four subheadings: 1) Encounters, 2) Diplomacy and Espionage, 3) Warfare and Soldiers, and 4) Pirates, Corsairs, and Slaves. The course aims to explore the complex relationship between the Ottoman Empire and Europe, challenging the “clash of civilizations” approach and more recent historiography that has overstated the importance of encounters and acculturation, downplayed the significance of religion, and portrayed Ottoman sultans as Renaissance princes. We will focus on the multi-layered encounters and relations (diplomacy, intelligence gathering, commerce, and wars) between the Ottoman Empire and its main European neighbors and adversaries (Venice, Spain, and the Habsburg Monarchy) in the early modern period. While discussing trans-cultural violence, the course studies competing ideologies (jihad/ghaza and crusade) and practices such as raids, piracy, imperial campaigns, and frontier warfare.