ITB 207E - Ottoman History

Course Objectives

• To gain factual knowledge (geography, names, dates, issues etc.)
• To discover patterns of social, political and cultural change in the societies under Ottoman rule.
• To develop methods of historical inquiry and ethical use of the source material
• To develop research, written and oral expression skills

Course Description

This course is a survey of the history of the Ottomans from its origins as a small medieval principality in Asia Minor to a major global power in the sixteenth century, and to its eventual disintegration at the end of World War I. The course will concentrate on the main political, social and cultural institutions of the Ottoman society, and how these changed over time. It will also introduce students to some of the major themes and recent trends in Ottoman historiography, including debates on the origins and decline of the Ottomans, the issue of Ottomans’ legacy for the successor states, as well as the growing research on the formerly underrepresented groups such as women, minorities etc.