Spring 2021 Update 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
Spring 2021 Update [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

HIS (0136) 363 - The Indian Ocean in World History


Credits: 3.00

Students explore a growing field of Indian Ocean studies covering a world historical region embracing diverse areas, cultures and peoples.  We examine the emergence of the following: Indian Ocean system through oceanic trade relations: various migrations, diasporas, and networks that connect different peoples: and later local responses to European imperialism.

Course Learning Goals: This course seeks both to increase student knowledge of the historical theme and improve student skills in reading, interpreting, and writing about history. More specifically, in this course students will demonstrate in discussion and written assignments:

1.Students will study and will be able to:

a. describe the Indian Ocean world (one of the oldest maritime highways connecting diverse regions, cultures/diasporas and “civilizations” from southeast Asia-south China Sea areas all the way to coastal East Africa and the Red Sea region)

b.  explore the relationship between land-based states and maritime trade and port cities

c.  analyze the role of caravan trade in the arid and semi-arid areas bordering the Indian Ocean

d. examine the impact of rivers on the development and human settlement in the lands around the Indian Ocean.

2.Improvement in their ability to critically read historical scholarship. This means that at the conclusion of this course students will be able to:

a.Identify primary sources and distinguish between primary and secondary sources.

b.Establish the context and purpose of an argument, evidence, methodology, and assumptions.

c.Construct a historical argument or narrative from one or more primary and secondary sources.

3.Improvement in their ability to interpret historical evidence. This means that at the conclusion of this course students will be able to:

a.  Write papers that are well-organized and clearly written with clear arguments (an easily    identifiable thesis) that are supported by evidence and good analysis

b.  Identify writer’s perspective in presentation of information and who, for whom, where, and when this writing was done

c.  Build a central argument that indicates why the topic they have selected is important and what its constituent parts will be

d.Craft their paper in a way that shows flow of argument, including paying attention to topic sentences, transitions in between paragraphs, and constructing good introductions and conclusions

e.Properly cite and footnote references in their paper following the guidelines provided in the Chicago Manual of Style.