Africa in India and Arabia

Catalog description

Africa has interwoven linkages for centuries with the Arabian Peninsula, and India, politically, historically, geographically, and culturally. These linkages were represented in continuous migrations of peoples, the circulation of goods and ideas, and the interaction with foreign forces. The ancient world of Africa, Arabia, and India had served as an epicenter of the global economy in the pre-modern world. As such, it gave rise to trading networks and political empires. The eastern and southern shores of Africa are both the recipients and the transmitters of cultural and political icons. The existence of many islands that separate Africa from India and Arabia stand as hybrid cultures that are influenced by forces from different continents. Political and cultural relations between African regions, India, and Arabia are evident with the presence of African-descent populations in these places, as well as the prevalence of cultural practices of African origin. Signs of interaction between these three regions are also apparent in several archeological sites and in the expansion that allowed the populations in these areas to share strategies during their independence movements to thwart western political hegemony. With the current advanced forms of globalization, this region is moving more towards economic and political cooperation and addressing the transnational natural and man-made threats. The objectives of this course are to achieve the followings: • Explore the geographic and historical interconnectedness between Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and India. • Examine the history of the different forces that have shaped the cultural landscape of the African shores with reference to India and the Arabian Peninsula. • Examine the political, economic, and cultural interconnections between Africa, Arabia, and India and the impact of Europe's colonial expansion. •Explore the…