HIST 2460

The Age of Suleiman the Magnificent

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2018-2019.

Much has been written about the so-called "Golden Age" of the Ottoman Empire, some based on documentary evidence, while other based on the fertile imagination of foreign diplomats, artists, and historians alike. In this seminar, we will explore the myths surrounding the Age of Suleiman the Magnificent, and the role they have played in the telling of the popular history of the Middle East, and the so-called "rise and fall" of Islamic civilization. How do seemingly innocuous stories about the decadence of the court, the loose morality of the "oriental" and the imagined Harem continue to impact our perception of the so-called "East" and in what way do they still define some of the very questions even contemporary researchers and journalists ask? Relying on a combination of popular history books, academic monographs, critiques of the genre of the "history of great men," and works of historical fiction, this seminar is meant to introduce undergraduate students interested in getting a sense of Ottoman popular history between 1500-1700, while being mindful of the power of storytelling in works of history and the perils of myth-making.

When Offered Spring.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: HIST 1561.

Breadth Requirement (GHB)
Distribution Category (HA-AS)
Course Subfield (HNU)

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