HST292: Europeans and the Ottoman world, 1529-1683
20 credits (semester 1) (semester 2 in 2013-14)
Module Leader: Dr Phil McCluskey
| Pre-requisites |
Pass in at least two Level One History Units HST112-120.
| Module Summary |
The course examines western European interactions with the Ottoman Empire in the period between the first and second Ottoman sieges of Vienna (1529 and 1683). It will trace the resulting changes (and continuities) in European perceptions of the Ottomans, as well as touching on broader themes including religious toleration and commercial expansion. It will conclude with consideration of the ‘demystification’ of the Islamic world in the wake of Ottoman military decline and the rise of European interest in ‘orientalism’ and the exotic. This is an original and unusual perspective on Early Modern Europe, which will give students the opportunity to reflect on and challenge traditional interpretations of the place of the Ottoman Empire in European history.
| Module Aims |
- To provide students with an understanding of western European engagement with the Ottoman world in the early modern period.
- To introduce students to a wide range of historical sources including political tracts, diplomatic reports, travel accounts, maps, engravings, and literature.
- To develop students’ ability to conduct historical inquiry using those sources alongside a critical reading of secondary material.
- To encourage collaborative learning and develop students’ team-working skills.
| Teaching |
The weekly lecture workshops will introduce students to the historical and historiographical context: topics will include the Ottoman advance into Europe up to 1529; the ‘unholy alliance’ of Francis I and Suleiman the Magnificent; the growth of western European trade in the Levant; Elizabethan England and Anglo-Barbary piracy; “Turco-Calvinism”; the Battle of Lepanto; the Venetian-Turkish wars; the Knights of Malta and Mediterranean piracy; Christian missions; and the rise of oriental travel.
In seminars students will be able to discuss their ideas arising from the study of primary and secondary material related to the above themes. Sources will include political commentaries, travel accounts, diplomatic reports, missionary reports, the Ottomans in European art and literature, and European cartographers’ depictions of the Ottoman world.
| Course Assignment Information |
Recent course assignment topics have included: European perceptions of the Ottoman harem; the rise of Barbary piracy; representations of the siege of Malta; and reactions to Ottoman rule in the Balkans. Aside from secondary literature, there are also several primary sources available to help you pursue a course assignment in this field: European travel literature on the Ottoman territories including Greece, Turkey, and the Middle East (much of which is available online via EEBO); published collections of diplomatic correspondence; maps; and captivity narratives written by Europeans who had managed to escape from North African prisons.
| Assessment |
The module is assessed by:
- One essay of 2,500 words which counts for 33% of the overall mark.
- A two-hour examination, which counts for 67% of the overall mark and is taken during the examination period of the appropriate semester.
| Selected Reading |
- To Follow.
