Module manager: Dr Andrew Delatolla
Email: a.delatolla@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
| ARAB2290 | Modern Middle Eastern History |
This module is approved as a discovery module
This module examines the formation of the modern Middle East, in the context of imperialism, colonialism and nationalism, from the Napoleonic expedition to Egypt in 1798 to the end of the Second World War. The main trajectory we will explore is the move from empires to nation states in the Middle East. Within these contours, we will investigate the history and historiography of imperialism, colonialism and nationalism; the rise and decline of the Ottoman Empire; Ottoman reformism; regional nationalisms including Arab, Turkish and Persian nationalisms; colonialism and its impact in North Africa; imperialism in Persia/Iran and local movements; and the impact of World War II on the Middle East.
To survey major events and themes in the history of the Middle East from the rise of the Ottoman Empire to the end of the Second World War.
By the end of the module, students are expected to have reached a high level of competence in the following in their study of Modern Middle Eastern history:
1. Conduct independent research and communicate the research orally and in written assignments, with clearly expressed ideas, maintaining academic rigour and structure.
2. Engage critically with the histories, cultures, and politics of the modern Middle East and North Africa.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of global and local contexts that have shaped the modern Middle East and North Africa.
4. Develop an independent research question and argument based on one of the topics covered in the module.
5. Perform sustained analysis of empirics, key texts from the reading list, and broader debates in the scholarship concerned with the histories of the modern Middle East and North Africa.
Source analysis
Synthesising modern and historical interpretations of events
Examining historical texts against contexts
1. Theories of Imperialism and Nationalism
2. The Ottoman Empire, Turkish nationalism and the Republic
3. Colonialism and nationalism in North Africa
4. Imperialism, colonialism and nationalism in the Levant
5. The Mandate system in the Fertile Crescent
6. The making of modern Iran: Qajars and Pahlavis
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 21 | 1.5 | 31.5 |
| Private study hours | 168.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 31.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
168.50 hours of private study include reading of relevant texts and preparation for lectures, students' presentations and written assignments.
Student progress will be monitored using the following methods:
- Written / oral assignments
- Designated feedback sessions (one per semester)
- Student questionnaires
- Personal tutee appointments
- Tutor advice and feedback hours
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1750 word essay | 50 |
| Essay | 1500 word review essay | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 4/29/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team