Modern Islamic History 1800-Present: The Rise of Secular Nationalism and Political Islam

Undergraduate

This survey course explores the history of the modern Islamic World. The dissolution of early modern empires led to a loss of sovereignty for most Muslims. The very serious challenges of colonialism, Zionism, war and civil war, and the impact of the oil economy were part of the Islamic world's encounter with modernity. So was the activism in the public and private spheres with which these challenges were met including the adoption of civil law codes, the creation of new national identities, Islamic reform movements and debates about gender and the role of women driven by intellectuals and elites. The final weeks of the course will address the tumultuous twenty-first century in the region, the Arab Spring and Political Islam in its various forms. (3 lecture hours per week.)