Early Modern Empires of Islam: The Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals

Catalog description

This course examines the history of the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires, from their origins to the Safavid Collapse, a historical time period covering approximately 1300 to 1722. Each week, the class will focus on a major turning point or theme using a combination of regional case studies and primary sources. In the process, students will be exposed to ongoing historiographical debates about a variety of events and trends in Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal history. Topics covered include war, diplomacy, urbanism, architecture, science, religion, technology, and art. This course focuses on and examines how the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal states evolved in a changing global context.