Introduction to the Modern Middle East, 1800-2010

Professor Toby Liang

Email: yglhistory@gmail.com

This course introduces students to modern Middle Eastern history from the
nineteenth century to the Arab Spring revolutions in 2010. Starting in the early
nineteenth century, France, Britain, and other European states invaded the Middle
East, ushering in a new era. In response to the European threat, Ottoman,
Egyptian, and Iranian governments instituted drastic military, economic, and
political reforms. Inevitably these reforms also led to social and cultural
transformations.

World War I disrupted the Ottoman Empire and Iran. A variety of new states
emerged from the destruction such as Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, the
Gulf kingdoms, and ultimately Israel. We will study the efforts of these states,
along with those of Egypt and Iran, to achieve independence and find new
political identities and social structures for their communities.

The end of World War II marked a tumultuous period of decolonization. Many

Middle Eastern states, now fully independent, developed military-authoritarian
regimes. We will study the dynamics of these regimes, the socio-economic
changes they enacted, and the socio-religious groups that mobilized in protest.
Moving toward the twenty-first century, we will also understand how the
imbalances of increasing wealth, stagnation, and violence in the region led to the
Arab Spring.

This course will examine a variety of historical topics:

Islamic society at the end of the premodern era
European intervention in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
Middle Eastern military, political, economic, social, and cultural changes
Islamic revival, reform, modernism
Westernization, Europeanization, and globalization
The development of nation-states
Authoritarianism
Social movements

This course will study a variety of historical concepts:

 The nature and functions of modern nation-states
The disciplining, standardization, and homogenization of state and society
Encounters between Western states, cultures, and civilizations with
Middle Eastern ones
The concept of modernity

Students will work on a variety of skills:

The ability to read, write, and converse in English
Analyze and interpret original sources in English translation

Week 1 Introduction to the course: why study the modern Middle East?
Jillian Schwedler, Understanding the Contemporary Middle East:
Introduction (p. 1-6)
Reading and discussion exercise how to think of the Middle East?
Week 2 Middle East history in the premodern era
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 1, 2, 3)
The Quran and Other Islamic Texts (p. 12-21)
Week 3 Nineteenth century part I: European imperialism and military/economic reforms
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 4, 5)
Week 4 Nineteenth century part II: political reforms
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 6-7)
Decrees from the Ottoman Tanzimat (p. 80-84)
Theodor Herzl, Zionism: The Vision of an Eventual Jewish State (p.
165-168)
Week 5 Islamic revival and World War I
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 8-9)
Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Plan for Islamic Unity (p. 97-99)
WWI-era documents (p. 113-118, 125-127, 170-173)
Week 6 Struggle for independence part I Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 10-11)
Peter Sluglett and Marion Farouk-Sluglett, Divide and Rule in
British-Controlled Iraq (p. 138-143)
Week 7 Struggle for independence part II Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 12)
Hasan al-Banna, Between Yesterday and Today and Our Mission (p.
13-68)
Week 8 Decolonization part I
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 14-15)
Michel Aflaq, Purifying the National Ideal (p. 132-135)
Week 9 Decolonization part II
 Class film: The Battle of Algiers
Week 10 Radicalization in Egypt and Iran
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 16, 18)
Sayyid Qutb, Corruption of the Modern World (p. 303-306)
Week 11 Liberalization and oil economies
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 19-20)
Class film: The House of Saud
Week 12 Baathist Syria and Iraq
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 21, 13)
Week 13 The Israel-Palestinian and Arab-Israel conflicts
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 17, 22, 23)
Week 14 Stagnation and its discontents
R.S. Humphreys, Hard Realities: Population Growth and Economic
Stagnation (p. 1-22)
Kevin Dwyer, Azmatology (p. 15-29)
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 24)
Class film: Under the Skin of the City
Week 15 Protest and mobilization
Cleveland, A History of the Modern Middle East (c. 25, 26)
Mark Tessler, The Origins of Popular Support for Islamist Movements
(p. 93-126)
Rabia Bekkar, Taking up Space in Tlemcen (p. 11-15)
Class film: Four Women of Egypt
Week 16 Violence and Terror
Osama bin Laden, Declaration of Jihad (p. 1-17)
Michael Bond, The Making of a Suicide Bomber
Terry Gross, interview with Marc Sageman, Marc Sageman Discusses
Terror Networks, National Public Radio, 27 May 2004
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1912601
Class film: Jihad: The Men and Ideas Behind al-Qaeda