WORLD HISTORY FROM PREHISTORY TO 1500

HISTORY 112A

MWF, 11:00-11:50

Lectures and Exams: Peck Hall 2304; Discussion Sections: see below

 

Professor
Office
Phone
E-Mail
Section
Office Hours
Cheeseboro
PH 1219
3518
acheese@siue.edu

PH 2304

M,W 1-2

Hinz
PH 3221
2724
chinz@siue.edu

PH 0303

 

Thomason
PH 1214
3685
althoma@siue.edu

PH 0406

M,W,F 10-11; W 12-1

Graduate Assistant

Stephen Walsh

PH 0205
5462
s_j_w50@hotmail.com

---

M,W,Th 12-1

 

There will also be occasional guest lectures on selected topics.

 

CLASS MEETINGS

 

All Monday and Wednesday classes will be held in PH 2304. Several Friday classes will be held in the rooms that correspond to your section leader; for the other Fridays we will meet in PH 2304. Consult your syllabus so that you will know when to attend discussion sections.

 

GOALS OF THE COURSE:

 

1.      To familiarize students with the cultural heritage of major segments of the world’s peoples.

2.      To create an awareness of the growing interaction of the world’s peoples from the earliest times.

3.      To provide students with a common body of knowledge which will be helpful as they advance through the university curriculum.

4.      To introduce students to historical modes of thinking and analysis and to use these methods in reading, writing, and meaningful discussions.

 

REQUIRED TEXTS

The following are available at Textbook Rental Services:

 

Peter Stearns, Michael Adas, Stuart B. Schwartz, World Civilizations, 3rd edition (New

York, 2001).

Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel (New York, 1999).

Andrew George, translator and editor, The Epic of Gilgamesh (London, 1999).

Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah, Franz Rosenthal, translator and N.J. Dawood, editor

(Princeton, NJ, 1967).

 

The following is available at the University Bookstore:

 

Confucius, The Analects, D.C. Lau, translator (London, 1979).

 

ASSESSMENT:

 

            There will be four papers, each due on a Friday. Each paper will be worth 100 points for a total of 400 points or 40% of the final grade. The papers should be typed, double-spaced, and approximately three pages in length. Papers should be stapled. A professor may refuse to accept a loose paper and is not responsible for losing pages if (s)he accepts it. The essay should be well organized and free of spelling and grammatical errors. Quotations may be used to reinforce an essay’s argument, however, the excessive use of quotations in lieu of an actual thesis will be harshly penalized. When citing phrases or ideas from the readings in papers, cite the page number in parentheses after the relevant quote/paraphrase. Here is an example: In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the hero is both human and god:  "two-thirds of him god and one third human." (George, 2)

Students are expected to turn in their papers in class on the day the assignments are due. Students must be in class to defend orally the work they have developed in written form. A penalty of 10 points (out of 100) will be assessed if the student is absent the day of the assignment but has turned in a paper and students will also be penalized if they turn in papers late (10 points/day). No papers will be accepted once a given assignment has been graded.

There will be four unannounced quizzes, two exams, and a final exam. Of the four quizzes only the three highest will be averaged into a student’s final grade. The maximum points for a quiz is 50 and the maximum points for an hour exam is 100. Quizzes will address issues in recent lectures and readings, and exams will cover large sections or themes of the class.

            Make-up exams (not quizzes) will be given but only to students who have a compelling excuse which can be verified. If a student cannot be present for an exam, he or she should contact a professor prior to the exam. To aid your study of course materials, you are encouraged to form a study group with classmates.

 

SUMMARY OF ASSIGNMENTS AND POINTS:

 

4 writing assignments (4x100)   400 pts.

3 of 4 quizzes (3x50)                            150 pts.

2 hour exams (2x100)                           200 pts.

1 final exam                                          250 pts.

Maximum Possible Points                   1000 pts.

 

Students may earn extra credit of 30 points for perfect attendance at all lectures and discussion sections.

 

STATEMENT on PLAGIARISM and USE OF THE INTERNET:

In general, we would like you to use the readings assigned in the course to create your papers.  We do not expect you to do any outside research for your papers. While you are writing your papers, be aware that plagiarism is the use of someone else's writing or ideas without giving credit to that individual through proper citation. Plagiarism can take several forms. It can consist of paraphrase or word-by-word transcription; the uncited source can be a published work, from a web site or discussion group on the internet, or the unpublished work of another student or acquaintance. It is every student's responsibility to know what plagiarism is and to avoid committing it. If you are in doubt, it is better to document a source than not to.  For more information about plagiarism, see the Department of History’s website:  (http://www.siue.edu/HISTORY/plagiarism.html.  The penalty for this offense, which is quite serious, is outlined in SIUE’s Student Conduct Code (http://www.siue.edu/POLICIES/1i6.html).

 

 

WORLD HISTORY FROM PREHISTORY TO 1500

HISTORY 112A

 

READING & ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

 

WEEK ONE

Aug. 25 (M) What is History? Why World History?                          Cheeseboro

 

Aug. 27 (W) Environment and Technology                                        Thomason

 

Aug. 29 (F) Discussion: Diamond, Chapters 4-10                                 Sections         

 

 

WEEK TWO

Sept. 1 (M) LABOR DAY                                                                  

 

Sept. 3 (W) Paleohistory of Race I                                                   Cheeseboro

Readings:  Diamond, chapters 11-14

 

Sept. 5 (F) Discussion: Race and History                                                Sections

Readings: Handout

 

WEEK THREE

Sept. 8 (M) Paleohistory of Race II                                                      Cheeseboro

Readings: Diamond, Part IV, Chapters 15-19

 

Sept. 10 (W) Mesopotamia                                                                      Thomason

Readings: Stearns, 28-38

 

Sept.  12 (W) Discussion                                                                         Sections

Paper Topic: Can we truly talk scientifically about race? What is the history of race as an object of scientific study and how successful have scientists been in separating their pre-conceptions from the pursuit of knowledge?
Paper # 1 due

 

WEEK FOUR

Sept. 15 (M) Egypt                                                                                 Thomason

Readings:  Stearns, 38-49

 

Sept. 17 (W) Video: Pyramid                                                                  Thomason

 

Sept. 19 (F) Discussion: Epic of Gilgamesh                                              Sections

Readings: Epic of Gilgamesh, “Introduction” and pp. 1-62.

Discussion questions: Where and how was the epic recorded and how did its form change over time? Why are there gaps or holes in the Epic of Gilgamesh?  How is the epic didactic, or meant to instruct?  What is the relationship between humans and the gods in Mesopotamia, and how does the hero Gilgamesh interpret this relationship in the epic?  Why do scholars link the epic to the Old Testament of the Bible?             

 

WEEK FIVE

Sept. 22 (M) Early India                                                                         Thomason     

Readings: Stearns, 50-61

 

Sept. 24 (W) Early China                                                                       Hinz

Readings: Stearns, 61-73

 

Sept. 26 (F) Classical Greece:  Society and Politics                     Thomason     

Readings:  Stearns, 125-137

                                                             

WEEK SIX

Sept. 29 (M) Classical Greece:  Arts and Literature                                 Thomason

Readings:  Stearns, 137-149

 

Oct. 1 (W) Rome & Its Empire                                                              Thomason

Readings: Stearns, 150 – 166

 

Oct. 3 (F) Discussion: Epic of Gilgamesh                                                 Sections
Readings: Epic of Gilgamesh,  pp. 62-100

Paper topic: What were the qualities of the ideal person in Mesopotamian society and how does the Epic of Gilgamesh explore these qualities?  Be sure to cite specific passages, actions, or events in the text that illustrate your response.  You must also use page numbers placed in (p.# ) after the quoted citation or paraphrased event so that we may reconstruct your evidence. 

Paper #2 due

 

WEEK SEVEN

Oct. 6 (M) Judaism and Christianity in the Roman Empire                      Thomason

Readings:  Stearns, 166-169 and Handout:  Pliny

 

Oct. 8 (W) Byzantium                                                                           Guest

 

Oct. 10 (F) First Exam: Study Guide                                                 PH 2304

 

WEEK EIGHT

Oct. 13 (M) Unification of China                                                   Hinz

Readings: Stearns, 100-111; Handouts on Legalism and Taoism

 

Oct. 15 (W) Confucianism                                                                    Hinz

Readings: The Analects, pp. 59 – 95

 

 

Oct. 17 (F) Discussion: The Analects                                        Sections

Readings: The Analects, pp. 143 – 160

 

WEEK NINE

Oct. 20 (M) The Han Dynasty: Confucianism Applied                               Hinz

Readings: Stearns pp. 112 – 123; The Analects, pp. 96 – 142

 

Oct. 22 (W) India’s Golden Age                                                           Hinz

Readings: Stearns, 170-195

 

Oct. 24 (F) Discussion: The Analects                                                    Sections

Paper Topic:  Based upon your knowledge of Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, and Chinese history, comment on the relationship between religio-philiosophical systems and the State.  Was Confucianism a successful socio-political system?  How might Confucius’ message been compromised by its absorption into the apparatus of the Han State?

Paper #3 Due

 

WEEK TEN

Oct. 27 (M) Muhammad and the Rise of Islam                          Cheeseboro

Readings: Stearns, 276-286; The Muqaddimah, 91-122.

Study questions: Who are the Bedouin? Where do they live and what do they do for a living? How are they different from sedentary people? What is asabiyah or “group feeling” and why does Ibn Khaldun think it is so important? How is asabiyah related to lineage, to royal authority, and to the creation of dynasties? Why are luxury and prosperity dangerous for those who strive for power? What patterns does Ibn Khaldun note in the fate of nations?

 

Oct. 29 (W) Islam’s Golden Age                                                          Cheeseboro     

Readings: Stearns, 287-317.

 

Oct. 31 (F) Islamic States

Readings: The Muqaddimah, 123-171.                                                 Cheeseboro

Study Questions: According the Ibn Khaldun, how are dynasties created and sustained? What is the role of religion in supplementing asabiyah? What kinds of examples from history does Ibn Khaldun use to prove his points? What do these suggest about Ibn Khaldun’s education and intellectual and cultural background? What patterns does he note in the fate of dynasties? How does Ibn Khaldun demonstrate his theory of history through is study of the early period of Islamic history?

 

WEEK ELEVEN

Nov. 3 (M) Islamic Cities                                                                     Cheeseboro

Readings: The Muqaddimah, 263-295.

Study Questions: How is the rise of towns and cities related to Ibn Khaldun’s previous treatment of the rise and fall of dynasties? What factors lead to the decline of cities?

 

Nov. 5 (W) Pre-Islamic Africa                                                  Cheeseboro

Readings: Stearns, 224-234; 331-336

 

Nov. 7 (F) Discussion: Ibn Khaldun                                                      Sections

Readings: The Muqaddimah, vii-ix, 3-9, 45-53

Study Questions: Familiarize yourself with Ibn Khaldun’s biography (vii-ix). What does he want to achieve in this work of history (3-9)? What principles does Ibn Khaldun set forth at the outset about the nature of human beings and of society? What does his description of the world reveal about the extent of geographical knowledge in his time? (45-53) Now that you’ve read a good deal of this book, what do you think of Ibn Khaldun’s theory of history? Is he convincing? Does the concept of asabiyah apply in other historical periods? In our own day and age?

 

 

WEEK TWELVE

Nov. 10 (M) Expansion of Islam to Africa and South Asia                        Hinz

Readings: Stearns, 317-329; 336-351

 

Nov. 12 (W) Mongols                                                                            Hinz

Readings:  Stearns, 474-497; The Muqaddimah, 230-261. Study Questions: According to Ibn Khaldun, what factors lead to the decline of dynasties and nations? What role does economic policy and wealth play in the decline of civilizations? What are the most important stages in the decline of civilizations? How does one dynasty give rise to another? How are these insights reflected by the history of the Mongols?

 

Nov. 14 (F) Discussion: The Muqaddimah                                            Sections

Paper Topic: What does Ibn Khaldun’s theory of history tell us about the nature of intellectual life in 14th-century Islamic North Africa?

Paper # 4 Due

 

WEEK THIRTEEN

Nov. 17 (M) Tang and Song China                                                       Hinz

Readings: Stearns, 422-447

 

Nov. 19(W) Japan                                                                               Hinz

Readings: Stearns, 448-461

 

Nov. 20 (F) Cahokia Mounds                                                              Video

Explore the Cahokia Mounds website (www.siue.edu/CAHOKIAMOUNDS)             

 

WEEK FOURTEEN  NO Class—Thanksgiving Break

 

WEEK FIFTEEN

Dec. 1 (M) the Americas                                                                      Guest

Readings:  Stearns 198-221

 

Dec. 3 (W) Guns, Steel, and Conquest in the Americas             Cheeseboro

Readings: Diamond, Chapter 3

 

Dec. 5 (F) Second Exam                                                                     PH 2304

 

 

WEEK SIXTEEN

Dec. 8 (M) Europe in the Middle Ages                                                 Guest

Readings: Stearns, 372- 397

 

Dec. 10 (W) Plague                                                                              Guest

 

Dec. 12 (F) Re-cap and review

 

Tuesday, Dec. 16, 10:00-11:40 am, PH 2304                FINAL EXAM