Empires: from the Achaemenid (6th century BCE) to the British (Non-credit)

1. Empires of the ancient world (2330 BC - 330BC).

2. The Roman Empire (27 BC – 480).

3. The Umayyad Caliphate (671 – 750).

4. The Holy Roman Empire (800 – 1806).

5. The Byzantine Empire (330 – 1453).

6. The Spanish Empire (1492 – 1975).

7. The Mongol Khanate (1206 – 1260).

8. The Mughal Empire (1526 – 1957).

9. The Ottoman Sultanate (1299 – 1922).

10. The British Empire (1583 – 1947).

Upon completion of the course it is intended that students will be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the key features of the major empires in history, including their social, political and economic impact, and their place within the history of empires;

• Demonstrate through oral contribution in classes, and through the assessment where applicable, an ability to analyse the primary sources, and to handle critically the secondary sources;

• Demonstrate, through oral contribution in classes, and through the assessment where applicable, an ability to conduct research and to structure ideas;

• Demonstrate, through oral contribution in classes and through the assessment where applicable, an ability to organize their own learning and to manage their workload.

Essential:

• Burbank, J., Cooper, F., 2010. Empires in World History: Power and the Politics of Difference. Princeton: Princeton University Press

• Howe, S., 2002. Empire: A Very Short Introduction Oxford: Oxford Paperbacks

• Marriott, E., 2012. The History of the World in Bite-sized Chunks. London: Michael O'Mara

Recommended:

• McLaughlin, R., 2014. The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean: The Ancient World Economy and the Kingdoms of Africa, Arabia and India. Barnsley: Pen and Sword.

• Axworthy, M., 2008. Iran: Empire of the Mind: A History from Zoroaster to the Present Day. London: Penguin

• Moses, D., 2009. Empire, Colony, Genocide: Conquest, Occupation, and Subaltern Resistance in World History (War and Genocide). New York: Berghahn Books

• Hansen. V., 2000. The Open Empire: A History of China to 1600. London: W. W. Norton and Company