Autumn

This course will explore the development of the Arabian Peninsula and Arab identity from the earliest times to shortly after the rise of Islam. Using mainly archaeological evidence, but considering also epigraphic, textual, and linguistic evidence, it will examine a range of case studies chosen to provide an overview of regional developments from the Bronze Age to the Late Antique period. A key text will be Hoyland's (2001) Arabia and the Arabs; from the Bronze Age to the coming of Islam, which will be brought up to date through examination of recent archaeological and epigraphic evidence. The course will also examine the way in which the empires and powers surrounding Arabia (eg Mesopotamia, the Indus, Rome/Byzantium, the Persian empires) affected the development of this relatively marginal (in economic terms) region, leading to the rise of Islamic/Arab empire in the 7th century.

In the first quarter of Islamic Thought and Literature, students will explore the intellectual and cultural history of the Islamic world in its various political and social contexts. Chronologically, the course begins with emergence of Islam in the 7th century CE and continues through the Mongol conquests until the rise of the “gunpowder empires” circa 1500. Students will leave the course with a historical and geographical framework for understanding the history of the Middle East and a familiarity with the major forms of premodern Islamic cultural production (e.g., history-writing, scriptural exegesis, poetry, philosophy, jurisprudence, etc.). Students will also develop the skills and contextual knowledge necessary for analyzing these sources in English translation; they will thus come to appreciate premodern Islamic cultural products on their own terms while engaging in the collective work of historical interpretation. No prior background in the subject is required. This sequence meets the general education requirement in civilization studies.

This sequence deepens and expands the students' knowledge of modern Persian. The goal is to enable the students to gain proficiency in all skills of language acquisition at a higher level. In this sequence, the students learn more complex grammatical structures and gain wider vocabulary through reading paragraph-length texts on a variety of topics related to Persian language, literature, and culture. Students will also be familiarized with Persian news and media terminology. Class meets four hours a week with the instructor and one hour with a native informant who conducts grammatical drills and Persian conversation.

This course is designed for complete beginners and teaches students to pronounce, read and write standard Persian, as well as some Iranian colloquial dialect. It includes an introduction to the alphabet, pronunciation patterns, greetings, basic structures, and other fundamentals. Students who have exposure to other Middle Eastern or South Asian languages, but have not formally studied Persian before, should enroll in this course. By the end of the course, students will be able to communicate in Persian at a Novice-Mid level according to the ACTFL National Standards. They should be able to read and compose basic texts in formal Persian relating to themselves and their everyday lives, and handle basic ‘survival’ scenarios that have been covered in class.

The high intermediate (third year) classical Arabic class is intended for students who have learned the essentials of modern fuṣḥā and who are beginning to read with some fluency. The goal is that by the end of the year, they will have mastered the essential features of classical grammar, as it differs from modern standard practice; that they will have significantly expanded their vocabulary, particularly as related to classical texts; that they will have read excerpts from a range of classical genres and will be able to tackle new texts on their own. Students with an interest in exploring the textual world of classical and medieval Islam will develop the necessary skills to engage with primary Arabic texts with increased confidence.

The first quarter of the three-quarter Intermediate Arabic sequence.