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The First Islamic Empire - HIS00092H

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  • Department: History
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Harry Munt
  • Credit value: 40 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module summary

Over the century following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632, Muslims built an empire that spanned from the Atlantic Ocean to Central Asia. In this module, we will study the emergence of this empire over the seventh century, its new and evolving ideological foundations, and the social and political changes that came about as a result. The Mediterranean and Middle Eastern world into which the Muslim community emerged had long-standing traditions of empire and had for centuries been dominated by two great superpowers, the Romans and the Persians. As Muslim armies conquered these two cosmopolitan empires, they encountered a range of communities with varying ideas about government, God and communal identity. In this Special Subject, we will investigate the processes through which the early Muslim community—which remained a minority of the population across the empire—adopted and adapted these ideas over the seventh century to transform the political culture and society of the Middle East.

This module will approach the history of the formation of the first Islamic empire through seminar topics grouped around four main themes: prophecy, conquest, government, and community. We will study these themes through analysis of primary sources ranging from surviving documents to grand narratives of universal history, written by members of the region’s diverse religious and linguistic communities. Through these sources, we will see that the seventh century in the Middle East witnessed a dynamic period of empire and community formation, a process of transformation to which Christians, Jews and Muslims all contributed.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23 to Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

  • To introduce students to in depth study of a specific historical topic using primary and secondary material;
  • To enable students to explore the topic through discussion and writing; and
  • To enable students to evaluate and analyse primary sources.

Module learning outcomes

Students who complete this module successfully will:

  • Grasp key themes, issues and debates relevant to the topic being studied;
  • Have acquired knowledge and understanding about that topic;
  • Be able to comment on and analyse original sources;
  • Be able to relate the primary and secondary material to one another; and
  • Have acquired skills and confidence in close reading and discussion of texts and debates.

Module content

Teaching Programme:

Students will attend a 1-hour briefing in week 1 of the autumn term. Students prepare for and participate in fifteen three-hour seminars. These take place in weeks 2-5 and 7-9 of the autumn term and weeks 2-5 and 7-10 of the spring term. Both the autumn and spring terms include a reading week for final year students and so there will be no teaching in week 6. There will also be a two hour revision session in the summer term. One-to-one meetings will also be held to discuss the assessed essay.

Seminar topics are subject to variation, but are likely to include the following:

Autumn Term

  1. Romans and Persians: the imperial background

  2. Pre-Islamic Arabia

  3. Sources for the life of the Prophet

  4. The Prophet Muhammad and the first Muslim community

  5. Remembering the Islamic conquests

  6. The first phase of the Islamic conquests in the Middle East

  7. The settlement of the conquerors

Spring Term

  1. Establishing government in the conquered territories

  2. The centralisation of power and authority in the late 7th century

  3. A view from the provinces I: Egypt

  4. A view from the provinces II: northern Mesopotamia

  5. A ‘Community of Believers’?

  6. Arabisation

  7. Islamisation

  8. The caliphs: God’s deputies on earth?

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
4,000 word essay		 N/A 50
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Open Exam - The First Islamic Empire		 8 hours 50

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

For formative assessment, students will be given the opportunity to do two practice gobbets and then are required to write a 2,000-word procedural essay relating to the themes and issues of the module in either the autumn or spring term.

For summative assessment, students complete a 4,000-word essay which utilises an analysis of primary source materials to explore a theme or topic relating to the module, due in week 5 of the summer term.

They then take a 24-hour online examination for summative assessment in the summer term assessment period comprising: one essay question relating to themes and issues, but showing an awareness of the pertinent sources that underpin these AND one ‘gobbet’ question (where students attempt two gobbets from a slate of eight).

The essay and exam are weighted equally at 50% each.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
4,000 word essay		 N/A 50
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Open Exam - The First Islamic Empire		 8 hours 50

Module feedback

Following their formative assessment task, students will typically receive written feedback that will include comments and a mark within 10 working days of submission.

Work will be returned to students in their discussion groups and may be supplemented by the tutor giving some oral feedback to the whole group. All students are encouraged, if they wish, to discuss the feedback on their procedural work with their tutor (or module convenor) during student hours. For more information, see the Statement on Feedback.

For the summative assessment task, students will receive their provisional mark and written feedback within 20 working days of the submission deadline. The tutor will then be available during student hours for follow-up guidance if required. For more information, see the Statement of Assessment.

Indicative reading

For term time reading, please refer to the module VLE site. Before the course starts, we encourage you to look at the following items of preliminary reading:

Cameron, Averil. The Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity: 395–700 ad. 2nd edition. London: Routledge, 2012. (Especially chs. 8 & 9.)

Donner, Fred M. Muhammad and the Believers at the Origins of Islam. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010.

Hoyland, Robert G. In God’s Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.