The Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East

Course goals

After completing this course, you will have 

1. broad knowledge of the historical development of the Near and Middle East from 1299 to 1922
2. specific knowledge of the history, political system and cultures of the Ottoman Empire in this period
3. an understanding of the place of the Ottoman Empire in Global History
4. becoming acquainted with the historical fields of empire studies and court studies
5. an understanding of the historiographical debates about the Ottoman Empire, and
6. an understanding of how European “Orientalistic” thinking shaped the image of the Ottomans
7. critically weigh up conflicting interpretations of history and formulate a position of one’s own in accordance with international academic standards
 

Content

The Ottoman Empire was one of the four principal political, military and cultural forces in the premodern world (together with the Qing, Mughal and Habsburg empires), and still a power to be reckoned with in the modern period until 1918. With its core in the Aegean and Balkans, the empire exercised hegemony over large parts of the Middle East, North and East Africa, and Central Europe for many centuries. Taking the perspective of world history, this course provides you with a basic knowledge of Ottoman history and culture, from the Middle Ages to the modern period. In a more general sense, the course will introduce you to the developing historical fields of empire studies and court studies.

Apart from outlining the historical background to Ottoman history and political culture, and the alleged clash of civilizations between ‘East’ and ‘West’, the course aims to familiarize you with current historiographical debates about the nature and impact of Ottoman rule, including the question of ‘modernization’, and the role of Orientalistic tropes in the image of the empire. The course sheds light on the entanglements of politics, religion and ethnic identity in the region. This includes a critical appraisal of hackneyed terms and binaries, such as the east-west dichotomy, the ‘clash of civilizations’ thesis, and the very concept of ‘the Middle East’ itself. In addition, the course introduces you to Ottoman institutions of imperial rule, such as the court and the palace, the army, the role of religion, and Ottoman architecture.