Religion, Trade, and Empire in the Pre-Modern World, 1215-1788

• • Week 1: Byzantium, Islam, and, Christianity
  • Week 2: Creating Christendom
  • Week 3: Structures of Hegemony in the Medieval World
  • Week 4: The Century of Crisis
  • Week 5: Renaissance and Renewal
  • Week 6: European Exploration and Exploitation
  • Week 7: Religion, Reformations and Politics
  • Week 8: The Emergence of the State through Conflict
  • Week 9: Republics, Science, and, Technology
  • Week 10: Trading People
  • Week 11: Enlightenment and Commerce
  • Week 12: Coloniser and Colonised
  • Week 13: Revision

No eligibility requirements

Special requirements

• OtherDetails -

  Students who have an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion under Macquarie University's Academic Progression Policy are not permitted to enrol in OUA units offered by Macquarie University. Students with an Academic Standing of Suspension or Exclusion who have enrolled in units through OUA will be withdrawn.

In 1215 CE, a Mongol army led by Genghis Khan conquered the Chinese city of Zongdhu (present-day Beijing), creating the largest contiguous land empire in human history. That same year, leaders of the Latin Church met for the Fourth Lateran Council, establishing western European Christian doctrine for the next three centuries. These civilisations came into contact as the Mongol Empire enabled commerce and cultural exchange between east and west Eurasia. In this unit, students will explore the roles played by religion, trade and empire in making this pre-modern world. We examine the deep conflicts that took place within European Christianity at this time, as well as mapping the broader religious landscape, considering the significance of Islam as well as Indigenous spiritual practices. The unit investigates the emergence of global trade networks during this period, looking closely at the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean, as locations of economic growth and sites of exploitation. This is the period within which European states transform themselves into empires through exploration and invasion. Students will consider empire from the perspectives of coloniser and colonised. Working closely with staff in weekly seminars, students will develop core skills in the study of modern history, including primary source analysis, critical reading, and clear academic writing.

• Quizzes, Given throughout semester, designed to test knowledge retention and aid in reading preparation (20%)
• Document Exercise, Given mid-semester, designed to scaffold skills in reading sources and contextualizing historical materials (30%)
• Essay, Given at the end of semester, designed to assess students skills in synthesizing material and making historical arguments (50%)