ARCHITECTURE, TRADE, AND POWER IN EARLY MODERN ISLAMIC EMPIRES

Credit Hours: 3 · Undergraduate Upper-Level

During the early modern period, ca. 1500-1800, around one-third of the earth’s human population inhabited territories that were ruled by three empires: the Ottomans in the eastern Mediterranean, the Safavids in the Iranian plateau, and the Mughals in South Asia. This period saw a surge in production of architectural monuments (such as the Taj Mahal), the emergence of cosmopolitan cities (such as Istanbul and Isfahan), and the expansion of the public sphere in gardens, promenades, and coffeehouses. This course examines the architecture, urbanism, and material culture of these three empires in the context of global trade, representations of power, and urban life in the capital cities of Istanbul, Isfahan, and Delhi. Graduate/Undergraduate Equivalency: HART 519 .