*This course will be conducted in English including lectures, class discussions, student presentations, and written assignments. Movies will be shown in original language at times with English subtitles.
*Students are 100% responsible for coursework. This includes attending class, reading texts, and completing assignments.
*No late work will be accepted for this course. There are no exceptions.
*Taking this course indicates acceptance of the conditions in this syllabus.

This course introduces students to modern Middle Eastern history from the nineteenth century to the Arab Spring in 2010. The framework for our study of the region and its peoples is political history. Starting in the early nineteenth century, European states such as France and Britain invaded the region, ushering in a new era. In response to the European threat, Ottoman, Egyptian, and Iranian governments instituted drastic military, economic, and political reforms. Inevitably these reforms also led to social and cultural transformations. World War I disrupted these states and a variety of new states including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and the Gulf emirates emerged from the cataclysm. We will study the efforts of these states, along with those of Egypt and Iran, to achieve independence and find a new political identity and structure for their communities. The end of World War II marked a drastic period of decolonization for Britain and France, and many Middle Eastern states now fully independent, developed military-authoritarian regimes. We will study the dynamics of these regimes, the socio-economic changes they enacted, and socio-religious groups that mobilized in protest. This course then moves toward the twenty-first century to understand the increasing wealth of the region, stagnation, and violence in the region up to the Arab Spring.

This course will address a number of important themes in the lives of Middle Easterners in the past and will provide students with the vital tools and skills to conduct such an investigation. More broadly, we will seek to understand how Middle Easterners have engaged with and contribute to modernity; how traditions and customs has helped them shape and understand the world around them; and how individuals have related to society and state. The Middle East has played vital roles in international affairs today. While the study of contemporary politics is important, this is a history class and we will focus on the past that led to the present. To be productive in this class, we must set aside preconceptions about the region and keep an open mind.


*Introduction to the Modern Middle East
*Discussion sections (中東近代史研導/討論課)
Choose One: Wednesday 9:10-10:00 or Wednesday 14:20-15:10

In addition to the main course, it is highly recommended that students enroll in one of the two discussion sections. In these small-group classes, students will have an opportunity to learn about and discuss the readings. I will also work closely with students to develop important skills of analysis, interpretation, framing, and presentation. The discussion section is worth one credit and grading will be based on the quantity and quality of participation in discussions.