Time Schedule:
Florian Schwarz
HIST 498
Seattle Campus
Each seminar examines a different subject or problem. A quarterly list of the seminars and their instructors is available in the Department of History undergraduate advising office.
Class description
Law and society in the pre-modern Middle East. This seminar explores the history of law in practice in Muslim societies from the middle ages to the 18th century. It will introduce students to the basic rules and interactions of legal systems in pre-modern Middle Eastern societies - Islamic law (shari'a), imperial law (qanun), customary law (adat, urf)-, but the focus will be on the societal and cultural implications of law in practice, in particular with regard to gender, authority, property and relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. Discussions will be based on English translations and studies of (mostly) court cases.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Classroom discussion of primary source texts (in English) and secondary literature.
Recommended preparation
No prerequisites.
Class assignments and grading
Response papers on primary and secondary sources, group presentations, one research essay.
Course assignements and grading will be outlined in the course syllabus.
