Department of History
Bashiri
1043 Heller Hall
Telephone: 624-3314
Office hours: M 11:15-12:00; F 1:15-2:00
or by appointment
e-mail:
bashi001@umn.edu
Web: www.irajbashiri.com
SYLLABUS
Modern
HIST 3506, RELS 3713; GLOS 3900-006
Spring 2014
Conceptual Frame:
"Modern
Student Learning
Outcomes:
1. Acquaint students with the history and culture of modern
2. Examine the impact of Zoroastrianism on Islam.
3. Examine the impact of modernization/westernization on Iranian culture.
4. Discuss Iranians' reaction to westernization: the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Class Sessions:
Month/Day
January
22 Introduction to the course;
course content, materials to be covered, office hours, tests, oral report, book
report, paper, participation, attendance, grades.
Assignment: Bashiri 2012, pp. 55-67; 103-107.
24 Who are the Iranians?
Assignment: Bashiri 2012, pp. 3-47; 76-93.
E-Reserve link: https://reserves.lib.umn.edu/
27 Iranian cosmology and mythology
Assignment: The Role of Farr in Firdowsi'sShahname; Bashiri 2012, pp. 154-159.
29 The divine right of kings—the farr.
Assignment: Bashiri 2014, pp. 21-26.
31 The Ahuric Order—socio-political
structure of pre-Islamic
Assignment: Shahid, pp. 3-29.
February
3 Pre-Islamic
Assignment: Esposito, Chapter 1 or pp. 1-31.
5 Muhammad and the rise of Islam
Assignment: Islam and Iran to AD 1400.
7 Oral Report I
10 Oral Report I
12 Oral Report I
14 Islamic conquests
Assignment: Farah, pp. 125-150.
17 The fundamentals of the Islamic faith
Assignment: Ziadeh, "
19 The Islamic Shari'a law
Assignment: Momen,
pp. 21-60; Nasr (Vali), pp. 31-61.
Study Guide One Posted
21 The imams of the Shi'ites
Assignment: Sachedina, pp. 214-218; Momen, pp. 161-171.
24 The Twelfth Imam al-Mahdi
Assignment: Bashiri 2014, pp. 29-43.
26 The influence of Zoroastrianism on Islam
Assignment:
Grousset, pp. 189-252.
28 TEST ONE
March
3 Mongol
conquests in Central Asia and
Assignment: Spuler, pp. 71-114.
5 Mongol society
Assignment: Grousset, pp. 347-391.
7 The Ilkhanid state and Islam
Assignment: Schimmel, pp. 98-186.
10 Sufism—the stations of the Tariqah
Assignment: 'Attar's "Seven Valleys of Love"; Bashiri 2014, pp. 55-79.
12 Sufism—the states of the Tariqah
Assignment: Stevens, pp. 421-451; Abrahamian, pp. 36-49.
14 The Safavid and Qajar states
17-21 Spring Break
24 Oral Reports II
26 Oral Reports II
28 Oral Reports II
31 Modernization—military, social, educational
Assignment: Landen, pp. 127-143; 174-177.
April
2 Foreign influences: concessions, revolutions
Assignment: Keddie, pp. 174-212.
4 Reforms—Amir-i Kabir
Assignment:
Abrahamian, pp. 135-165;
7 Reforms—Reza Shah Pahlavi
Assignment:
Goodell, pp. 161-186.
Study Guide II Posted
9 Reforms—Muhammad Reza Shah Pahlavi
Assignment: Abrahamian, pp. 281-325.
11 Communist movement in
Assignment: Rubin,
pp. 54-90.
14 TEST TWO
16
Assignment: Rubin, pp. 91-123.
18
Americans and Soviets in
Assignment: Algar, pp. 12-23.
21 The rule of the Jurisprudent
Assignment: Nafisi, pp. 1-77.
23 Oral Reports III
25 Oral Reports III
28 Oral Reports III
30 Class
Discussion: Reading Lolita in
Assignment: Nashat (1982), pp. 165-194.
Book Reports Due
May
2 Iranian women—urban, rural, tribal
Assignment: The Bakhtiaris Iran; The Qashqais of Iran
5 Iranian tribal life
Assignment: Bashiri 2007, pp. 75-113.
7 Iranian minorities—ethnic, linguistic, religious
Assignment: The Persian Nowruz
9 Entertainment, sports, music, festivals, passion plays
Assignment: none
Final Papers due
The final test (Exam III) for this class is on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, 10:30-12:30 p.m.
The test covers, the ...
Assignments
There will be 3 tests, 1 oral report, 1 book report, and 1 final paper. Attendance and active participation in classroom discussions also carry points.
Tests
There will be three tests in essay format. The actual dates for the tests are geared to the completion of the sections of the course devoted to the main topics in that part of the course. The exams will cover classroom discussions, reading assignments, and oral reports. There will be no make-up tests. Exceptions will be made for hardship cases on an individual basis. The instructor should be informed in advance of the reason for not taking the test. Test 1 carries 10 points; test 2 carries 12 points; test 3 carries 15 points. The tests altogether are worth 37 points.
The final test (test 3) is on Wednesday, May 14, 2014, 10:30-12:30 p.m.
Oral Report
Option
1: Comprehensive Powerpoint
Option 2: Written text of lecture presented (2 pages, double-spaced)
Each student participates in the gathering and delivering of information for 1 oral report. After topics are assigned, each student gives a presentation to the class (either PowerPoint or lecture). Immediately after the presentation, the report (comprehensive PowerPoint presentation or full text of lecture) is emailed to the instructor for review. The instructor makes necessary corrections and emails them to all the students. Students are responsible for knowing the content of all the reports they receive for tests. Guidelines for Oral Reports is designed to help students in preparing their oral reports.
The oral report is graded for the quality of its overall contribution to the class. Failure to present your report at the time assigned results in the loss of 3 points. Failure to provide the class with a copy of the report results in the loss of the rest of the points. The time limit for the Oral Report is 12 minutes. The Oral Report carries 15 points.
Book Report
(2 pages, double-spaced)
Any book on modern
Paper
(10 pages, double spaced)
The paper should be 10 pages double-spaced, printed, and presentable.
It should deal with aspects of
Aspects of paper |
# of points |
presentability |
1 |
relevance and originality |
6 |
introduction |
3 |
structure |
4 |
content |
9 |
conclusion |
3 |
footnotes & bibliography |
4 |
Total |
30 |
Attendance and Participation
Attendance is taken by passing a roster to be legibly signed. Each absence is worth half a point. Attendance carries 3 points. Active participation in class carries 5 points. Absences affect the number of points for participation. They also indirectly affect the outcome of the tests.
Grading Scale
4.0 scale |
Grade |
% |
4.0 |
A |
93-100 |
3.667 |
A- |
84-92 |
3.333 |
B+ |
76-83 |
3.000 |
B |
68-75 |
2.667 |
B- |
59-67 |
2.333 |
C+/S |
49-58 |
2.000 |
C/S |
43-50 |
1.667 |
C-/S |
34-42 |
1.333 |
D+ |
26-33 |
1.0 |
D |
25 |
Selected Bibliography
The following books are
available at the bookstore:
Bashiri, Iraj. Modern Iranian Philosophy: From Ibn Sina to Mulla Sadra Shirazi, Cognella Publishers, 2014. (optional)
Bashiri, Iraj. Ancient
Momen, Moojan. An
Introduction to Shi'i Islam,
Nasr, Vali. The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the future, Norton & Company, 2006. (required)
Nafisi, Azar. Reading
Lolita in
The following readings are available at the Reserve Room at Wilson Library or on E-reserve.:
E-reserve:
Abrahamian,
Ervand.
Algar, Hamid, Islam and
Revolution, Mizan Press,
*Bashiri, Iraj. The
Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path, NY:
Farah, Caesar E. Islam: Beliefs and Observances, Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1970
Grousset, Renee.
The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia,
Keddie, Nikki.
"
Rubin, Barry. Paved
with Good Intentions: The American Experience in
Sachedina, Abdulaziz. "Ithna 'Ashariyah," The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, vol.3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 214-218.
Sachedina, Abdulazia. "Shi'i Schools of Law," The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, vol.3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 397-399.
Ziadeh, Farhat J. "Sunni Schools of Law," The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, vol.3, Oxford University Press, 2009, pp. 389-397.
Print
Reserve:
Bashiri, Iraj. Modern Iranian Philosophy: From Ibn Sina to Mulla Sadra Shirazi, Cognella Publishers, 2014.
Bashiri, Iraj. Ancient
Goodell, Grace
E. The Elementary Structures of Political Life: Rural Development in Pahlevi
Grousset, Renee.
The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia,
Kwanten, Luc. Imperial
Nomads: A History of Central Asia, 500-1500,
Landen, Robert G. The Emergence of the Modern Middle East, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1970.
Momen, Moojan. An
Introduction to Shi'i Islam,
Nafisi, Azar. Reading
Lolita in
Nashat, Guity, "Women in the Islamic
Nasr, Vali. The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the future, Norton & Company, 2006.
Schimmel, Annemarie, Mystical
Dimensions of Islam,
*Shahid, Irfan. "Pre-Islamic
Arabia," The
Spuler, Bertold. History of the Mongols, Dorset Press, 1968, 1988.
Stevens, Roger.
"European Visitors to the
General:
The following books are available either at the Reserve Room or
from the general collection at Wilson.
Abrahamian, Ervand.
Adib-Moghaddam, Arshin.
Akhavi, Shahrough. Religion and Politics in Contemporary
Amoretti, B. S. "Religion in the Timurid and Safavid
Periods," The Cmbridge History of
Arjomand, Said Amir. The Shadow of God and the Hidden
Imam,
Avery, Peter. Modern Iran, Frederick A. Praeger,
Inc., Publishers, 1955.
Bashiri, Iraj. Ancient
Beeman, William O. The "Great Satan" vs. The
"Mad Mullahs": How the
Boyce, Mary. Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and
Practices, Routledge & Kagan Paul, 1979.
Dabashi, Hamid.
Dale, Stephen F. The Muslim Empires of the Ottomans,
Safavids, and Mughals,
Esposito, John L. Islam: The Straight Path, NY:
Diba, Farhad. Mossadegh: A Political Biography,
Croom Helm Ltd, 1986.
Filippani-Ronconi, Pio, "The Tradition of Sacred
Kingship in
Friedl, Erika, Women of Deh Koh: Lives in an
Goodell, Grace E. The Elementary Structures of Political
Life: Rural Development in Pahlevi
Hambly, Gavin. "The Pahlavi Autocracy,"
Kazemi, Farhad. Poverty and Revolution in
Khomeini, Ruhullah. Islam and Revolution: Writings and
Declarations of Imam Khomeini, Mizan Press, 1981.
Landen, Robert G. The Emergence of the Modern Middle
East, Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1970.
Lockhart, Laurence. "European Contacts with
Majd, Hooman. The Ayatollah's Democracy: An Iranian
Challenge, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2010.
Momen, Moojan. An Introduction to Shi'i Islam,
Mottahedeh, Roy. "The Shu'ubiyyah
Controversy and the Social Historyof Early Islamic Iran," International
Journal of Middle East Studies, vol. 7, np. 2 (April 1976), pp. 161-182.
Nashat, Guity and Louis Beck, eds., Women in
Nashat, Guity, "Women in the Islamic
Nasr, S. H. "Spiritual Movements, Philosophy and
Theology in the Safavid Period," The Cmbridge History of
Nasr, Vali. The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam
Will Shape the future, Norton & Company, 2006.
Roemer, H. R. "The Safavid Period,"
Sachedina, Abdulaziz. IIthna Ashariyah," The Oxford
Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, vol.3, Oxford University Press, 2009,
pp. 214-218.
Schimmel, Annemarie, Mystical Dimensions
of Islam,
Shahid, Irfan. "Pre-Islamic
Arabia," The
Stevens, Roger. "European Visitors to the
Takeyh, Ray. Guardians of the Revolution:
Upton, Joseph M. The History of Modern
Wilber, Donald N. Iran: Past and
Present,