Islamic History: Formative Period 600-1000

Undergraduate

This is a survey course that examines the development of a distinctive Islamic civilization over the course of four centuries in southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and portions of Central Asia. The lectures will emphasize the following themes: 1) the formation of Islamic civilization as a long-term and gradual process engaged in by the conquering Arab Muslims and their conquered subjects; 2) the diversity of expressions of Islamic culture and religious practices; and 3) the important role played by historical memory in the formation of Islamic culture.