**This course will be conducted entirely in English including lectures, class discussions, student presentations, and written assignments.**

Islam is one of human civilization’s great religions. There are more than one billion Muslims living all over the world today. Politics in the Middle East and the broader Islamic world play important roles in international relations. For these and many other reasons it is crucial to have an understanding of the history of Islamic societies.

This course covers the first half of Islamic history from 600 to 1300 C.E. At the beginning of this period, Arab Muslims established a new religion and empire at the intersections of religions: Christian, Jewish, and Zoroastrian faiths and the crossroads of empires: Roman and Sasanian states in the Middle East. Within in this context, we will study the construction of Muslim empires and the dynamics of life in Islamic societies during the classical and medieval periods. The course concludes in the 1300s, a pivotal moment when Islamic societies had to find a response to Turkish, Latin Christian (Crusader), and Mongol invasions that contributed to the fragmentation of Islamic civilization. By studying early Islamic history, we can witness the construction of such a major civilization from its very origins.

The period we study has received an enormous amount of attention over the last few years. Today’s Islamists and their opponents all look to the Prophet Muhammad and the community he established as an ideal and true representation of Islam to be copied or even reestablished. Contrary to seeing the past from such ideological perspectives, we will approach the study of early Islam from a historical perspective. We will examine the historical circumstances that led to the establishment of a new faith, why peoples adopted these beliefs, and how Muslims shaped new societies.


Introduction to Islam, 600-1300
Discussion section (伊斯蘭文明研導)
Wednesday 10:20-11:10 in 普通�Pǔtōng 301

In addition to the main course, students are encouraged to enroll in the discussion section. In this small-group class, students will have an opportunity to learn more 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 to take it, you must to enroll in it online. You cannot only take the discussion section, without taking the lecture course. Auditors are not allowed in the discussion section. Grading will be based on the quantity and the quality of participation in discussions.