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HU Credits:
2
Degree/Cycle:
1st degree (Bachelor)
Responsible Department:
Islamic & Middle East Stud.
Semester:
2nd Semester
Teaching Languages:
Hebrew
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Dr D Gershon Lewental
Coordinator Office Hours:
Wednesdays by appointment
Teaching Staff:
Dr. D Gershon Lewental
Course/Module description:
Since Antiquity, Iran has shaped the politics, culture, and ideas of the Middle East, influencing the course of events, as well as religious and social trends, and continuing to play a central rôle in both regional and global affairs today. This course explores the dynamic history of Iran from the rise of the Ṣafavid Empire, which established Shīʿī Islam as the state religion and laid the foundations for contemporary Iran, through the turbulent Eighteenth Century marked by political chaos and religious consolidation, to the socio-political transformations, military and financial crises, and constitutional reforms of Qājār era. We will then chart the rise and fall of the Pahlavī dynasty in the Twentieth Century and examine the revolutionary fervour that produced the Islamic Republic. We will conclude by comparing theory and reality of the ideological underpinnings of the contemporary Iranian régime and evaluating its complex internal challenges, foreign policies, and future prospects.
Course/Module aims:
This course will offer students a survey of the history of Iran since the Sixteenth Century against the broader background of historical developments in the Middle East. We will pay close attention to socio-cultural trends, particularly the tension between religion and state, as well as the status of minority communities and the position of women. Students will gain a strong understanding of the roots of contemporary Iran, the causes and consequences of the Iranian Revolution, and the domestic and foreign policies of the Islamic Republic.
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
At the end of this course, students will have gained a better understanding of Iran, its history, and its society, as part of the broader Middle East, while honing critical thinking and reading skills.
Attendance requirements(%):
90 (students allowed two unexcused absences over the course of the semester)
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
reading in advance of the lessons
active participation
class discussions
short quizzes
take-home final exam
Course/Module Content:
1. Introduction to pre-modern Iran
2. Turkmen dynasties and the origins of the Ṣafavids
3. Shāh Esmāʿīl and the establishment of Shīʿī Iran
4. The Apogee of Ṣafavid power under Shāh ʿAbbās
5. Interregnum and chaos in Eighteenth-Century Iran
6. Changes in state and society under Qājār rule
7. From the Tobacco Protest to the Constitutional Revolution
8. The Rise of Reżā Khān and the Pahlavī dynasty
9. Mid-Twentieth Century crises in Pahlavī rule
10. Pahlavī autocracy and the road to revolution
11. Velāyat-e faqīh: From idea to revolution to state
12. The Islamic Republic after the death of Khomeynī
13. Whither the Islamic Republic?
Required Reading:
see the full syllabus on Moodle
Additional Reading Material:
Grading Scheme :
Written / Oral / Practical Exam 50 %
Active Participation / Team Assignment 20 %
Submission assignments during the semester: Exercises / Essays / Audits / Reports / Forum / Simulation / others 20 %
Attendance / Participation in Field Excursion 10 %
Additional information:
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