HIST 262 - Muslim Political Thought: From 600s to the Present

FC SSCI CD WINT

4 credits
This course traces the evolution of the Muslim political thought, from views on Prophet Muhammad’s state in Medina to ideologies of Islamic governments and political parties today. It investigates the idea of the Caliphate in Sunni political theories, distressed visions on abolishing the last caliphate in the early 20th century, and recent attempts to restore it by militant movements. Similarly, it examines the notion of the Imamate in Shi’i theories and the textual basis of Iran’s Islamic Republic. It scrutinizes treatises on the political economy of struggling sultans, secret orders of Assassins, rights of religious minorities under conquering caliphs, and women’s role in war. As Islamist political parties sweep or lose democratic elections in many Muslim countries today, the course examines their online media. Finally, the course explores how classical ideas influence the popular culture in Muslim and non-Muslim communities today, as reflected in TV’s soap operas about exoticized or vilified Ottoman courts, online Fatwas about women’s political rights, or even video games on medieval assassins.