I) HIST 121: World History to 1700
3 credit hours
Avery 214, W 6:30-9:00
C. Leckey
Fall 2001
Office and office hours: Avery 214, MWF, 10-11; TR 1-2; and by appointment
(423) 869-6427
e-mail: cleckey@lmunet.edu
II) No prerequisites
III) Course description: This course surveys the emergence and development of human communities from approximately 5000 BCE to approximately 1500 CE. We will place particular emphasis on the formation and consolidation of "culture zones", here defined as areas too large and diverse to be classified as formal states, but sufficiently unified in civilizational content (e.g., material culture, religion, language, mentalities) so as to belong to a single zone. We will focus on four major geographical areas: 1) East Asia, with special concentration on China; 2) South Asia, with special concentration on the Gangetic Plain of India; 3) the "arid zone", an immense piece of real estate stretching from modern-day Morocco across the Middle East and into the furthest reaches of Central Asia; 4) the northern rim of the Mediterranean and Europe. In addition to studying the development of each culture zone, we will also examine the complex interaction of these human communities over time through the development of trade, religious, military, and political ties.
IV) Texts (available at the LMU bookstore):
Bulliet, et.al., The Earth and Its Peoples: A Global History, volume 1, brief edition (hereafter cited as Bulliet)
Andrea and Overfield, eds., The Human Record, volume 1, fourth edition (hereafter cited as Andrea)
V) Course objectives:
1) To provide students with the long-range historical perspective necessary for a valid understanding of the contemporary world.
2) To understand world history as a living and dynamic process, subject to rational examination and validation.
3) To examine the formation and evolution of the great culture zones of the pre-modern world.
4) To introduce students to the study of history and basic historical methods.
5) To develop communication, writing, and analytical skills.
VI) Outline of course/units of instruction:
8/22:
Course introduction
Mesolithic and Neolithic
Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus
Discussion of Gilgamesh and Egyptian Funerary Documents (Andrea, 1, 3)
8/29:
Formation of Chinese civilization
Cosmopolitanism in the Middle East (Egypt, Hittites, Mesopotamia)
Bronze Age Greece
Reading: Bulliet, chapters one and two (except pp. 45-49); Andrea, 2, 5.
9/5:
Assyrians
Early Hebrews
Phoenicians
Test One
Reading: Bulliet, pp. 62-78.
9/12:
Document discussion on Hebrews
Iranians
The Greek polis
Reading: Bulliet, pp. 80-93; Andrea, 13, 14, 15.
9/19:
Iran vs. Greece
Hellenistic period
Document discussion on classical Greece
Reading: Bulliet, 93-102; Andrea, 28, 30; Plato, “The Allegory of the Cave”, from The Republic.
9/26:
Roman Empire
Han China
Document discussion on classical Chinese philosophy
Reading: Bulliet, chapter five; Andrea, 23, 24, 25, 48, 49.
10/3:
Classical Indian civilization
Test Two
Reading: Bulliet, 124-38.
10/10:
Document discussion on Hinduism
How to write a document-based paper
Reading: 11, 16, 17, 19, 37, 38.
Note:
Document-based papers due in my office by Friday, October 12, 3 PM
10/17:
Late Antiquity in the West and Germanic Infusion
Rise of the Western Church
Byzantine culture and society
Crusades
Reading: Bulliet, chapter seven; Andrea, 77, 85, 86, 91.
10/24:
The Prophet Muhammad and the rise of Islam
The Caliphate
Islamic Civilization
Reading: Bulliet, pp. 177-92; Andrea, 56, 57, 62, 77, 78.
10/31:
Emergence of East Asia: Tang Dynasty; Greater Vehicle Buddhism; Song
Dynasty; Chinese cultural diffusion in Japan
Reading: Bulliet, chapter eight; Andrea, 44, 68, 72, 74, 75.
11/7:
Steppe and Sown: Central Asia in world history
Mongols and the Middle East
Reading: Bulliet, 233-41.
11/14:
Mongols and Europe
Mongols and East Asia
Document discussion on Mongols
Reading: Bulliet, 241-55; Andrea, 104, 105, 110.
11/28:
Indian Ocean: Economy, Culture and Society
Expansion of Islam: sub-Saharan Africa and the Delhi Sultanate
Reading: Bulliet, chapter twelve; Andrea, 62, 79, 109.
12/5:
Crises of Medieval Europe
European cities
European cultural and intellectual life, 1200-1500
New monarchies
Reading: Bulliet, chapter thirteen; Andrea, 102.
12/12: Final exam in Avery 214, 6:30
VII) Methods of instruction: Class periods will consist of lectures, spontaneous discussions, and structured discussions of documents from The Human Record. Students are encouraged to ask questions during lectures. Given the importance of classroom discussion in this course, it is essential that students complete the reading assignments before each class begins.
VIII) Course requirements:
Three tests: 45 %
Discussion: 15%
Document-based paper on Hinduism: 20%
Final exam: 20%
All tests
will consist of the following: 1) Short essay questions. A satisfactory answer demonstrates your
command of the facts, but it must also show your ability to produce a tightly
organized, well conceived, and crisply written argument that answers the
question and strikes the balance between facts and interpretation. 2)
Identifications, such as "Identify and give the significance of Napoleon
Bonaparte." This is what a perfect
answer to this question looks like: French dictator from 1799 to 1814. Napoleon rose through the ranks of the
French Revolutionary army before coming to power in 1799 and establishing a
dictatorship. Napoleon consolidated
some of the earlier achievements of the French Revolution, such as land reform
and the separation of church and state, while simultaneously betraying some of
the principles so important to the Revolution, such as civil liberties and
individual freedom. Napoleon is also
known for exporting the revolution abroad through a series of brilliant
military campaigns that brought most of Europe under French rule.
IX) Class policies:
Although it is theoretically possible to do well on written work without attending class, in practice it has never happened (at least in any of my courses). Needless to say, there is a strong correlation between attending class and final grades. Students who show up, demonstrate initiative, and participate well in discussions tend to get satisfactory grades on their written work. Students who do not show up and perform poorly in discussion tend to get poor grades. Moreover, attendance and quality participation in class discussion suggest that the student wants to understand the subject and get something out of the course. Evidence of improvement and effort are factored into the final grade.
X) No field experience required.
XI) Revised August 21, 2001.