Mesopotamia and the ancient Near East—the area of modern Iraq and adjacent regions—witnessed the rise of the first cities in the fourth millennium BC and the emergence of the world’s first empires in …
Early Islamic History: The Prophet and the Caliphates
The formative period of Islam, from its origins in the late antique Near East to the fall of Baghdad in the mid-13th century. This course serves to build a solid foundation in Middle East and Islamic …
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The Prophet and The Caliphates: Early Islamic History to 1258
An introduction to the history of Islamic civilization in the core Islamic regions from the rise of Islam to the fall of the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad to the Mongols in 1258. Covering aspects of …
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The Mongol Empire and the World It Made
Most of Eurasia (the Middle East, East and South Asia, Eastern Europe) was once incorporated into the Mongol Empire and greatly influenced by Mongol rule. It may be said that the beginnings of modern …
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The Turks in History: From Nomads of the Steppe Frontier to Islamic Rulers
The course examines the roles of Turks and other primarily nomadic peoples as raiders, migrants, slave-soldiers, and empire-builders in the ancient and medieval history of Eurasia (including Central …
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The Steppe Frontier in Eurasian and Islamic History
Explores the roles of Turks, Mongols and other primarily pastoral nomadic peoples as raiders, migrants, slave-soldiers, and empire-builders in the ancient and medieval history of Eurasia (Inner and …
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