Presents world civilizations during the transition from the Ancient classical times to the Modern Period, i.e., the Medieval and Early Modern periods (c. 500 CE - c. 1650 CE). The world civilizations include China from the Sui to the early Qing dynasties; Japan from its origins to the early Tokugawa Shogunate; early Arabia, the rise of Islam, and the Umayyad, Abbasid, Seljuk, and Ottoman empires; the Mongol Empire; the Aztec and Incan civilizations; and the European Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation.
Goals, Topics, and Objectives
- Survey of the history and culture of:
- Islam and the Islamic empires (Umayyad, Abbasid, Seljuk, and Ottoman)
- Medieval Europe
- China from the Tang to the early Qing Dynasty
- Japan to the early Tokugawa Period
- The Mongols, their place in and effect on Eurasian history
- Interactions between civilizations and peoples, Old and New Worlds, including but not limited to trade and conquest
- The Renaissance, its origins, development, and effects
- The Reformation, its origins, development, and effects
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
- Outline time and chronology in Medieval and Early Modern world history.
- Identify, summarize, and analyze major elements of Medieval and Early Modern world history.
- Analyze cause and effect in Medieval and Early Modern world history.
- Trace elements of change and continuity in Medieval and Early Modern world history.
- Emphasize parallelism by describing the impact of major events, personalities, and places upon Medieval and Early Modern world history.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Outline the political and cultural history of the civilizations of China, Sui to early Qing; Japan up to the early Tokugawa Shogunate; the Umayyad, Abbasid, Seljuk, Ottoman, and Mongol empires; the Aztec and Incan civilizations; and Europe through the Wars of Religion.
2. Describe the various types of political organization found in the Medieval and Early Modern periods and tell how they are different from the modern nation-state.
3. Identify, compare and contrast the basic ideas of Islam, Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, and Buddhism.
4. Describe the rise of Islam and the establishment of the Islamic Empire. Identify and give the significance of Mohammad, caliph, Sunni, Shia (Shi’ite), and the Umayyad and Abbasid Dynasties.
5. Identify and give the significance of the devshirme, Janissary Corps, sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, and Sinan (Mimar Sinan).
6. Identify and give the significance of samurai, daimyo, shogun, Minomoto Yoritomo, the Fujiwara family, Oda Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.
7. Identify and give the significance of Khubilai Khan, Zhu Yuanzhang, Zheng He, and the Manchu.
8. Describe the feudal and manorial systems in Europe.
9. Describe the changes in European agriculture c.1000 CE and their effects on European society, including the revival of trade in Europe and the rise of commercial towns.
10. Describe the religious changes in Europe between c.1300 and c.1650. Identify and give the significance of John Wycliffe, the Pope, Martin Luther, John (Jean) Calvin, and the Council of Trent.
11. Identify and give the significance of Montezuma, Tenochtitlan, Atahualpa, Cuzco, Cortes, and Pizarro.
12. Identify and give the significance of the Peace of Augsburg and the Treaties (or Peace) of Westphalia. Identify their purposes, strengths, and weaknesses.
Assessment and Requirements
Assessment of academic achievement will be identified and implemented by the class instructor. Methods will include, but will not be limited to, individual projects, vocabulary, class participation (discussion and critiques), and tests.
One of the following:
- A good, world history text which is truly global and devotes significant material to non-Western history (China and the Islamic World)
- Monographs that contain significant non-Western, non-Judeo-Christian materials.
Supplemental materials should be non-Western whenever possible.
Outcomes
- Social Sciences
- Humanities and Fine Arts
- Category 4: Social Sciences
- Category 5: Humanities and Fine Arts