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- S1 E1 - Muslim Empires: Land, Language, ReligionFebruary 4, 201633minConsider the geographical region we call the Greater Middle East, and explore the range of nations and cultures that define it. Preview some of the remarkable historical turning points you'll witness, encompassing conquests, political alliances, invasions, and the rise of Islam, as well as social, intellectual, and economic flowering of numerous kinds.#HistoryFree trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E2 - Muhammad and the Dawn of Islam - 622February 4, 201630minHistorically, the rise of Islam was a turning point among turning points. Trace key phases in the life of Muhammad, from the founding of the faith through his years of opposition and his ultimate establishment of Islam as a religious and political entity. Assess the global impact of these events, and analyze their reverberations today.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E3 - Arab Invasion of North Africa - 639February 4, 201631minThe seventh-century Arab invasion of North Africa brought profound and permanent change to the entire region. Follow the Arab armies of the newly created Islamic empire in their conquest of the territories of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco, and take account of the lasting Arabization and Islamization that resulted.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E4 - Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus - 661February 4, 201631minThe establishment of the Umayyad caliphate's capital in Damascus was the most important political turning point in early Muslim history. Trace the Umayyads' achievements, and investigate their reasons for locating the empire's capital away from the Arabian peninsula, reflecting the shift from a religiously inspired Islamic empire to a politically oriented imperial power.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E5 - Battle of Karbala - 680February 4, 201628minThe Battle of Karbala represents the defining moment in the split between the two main branches of Islam. Learn about how the faith came to violent internal conflict so early in its history, assess the nature of the underlying dispute over succession, and witness the political and religious fallout from the battle itself.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E6 - Arab Invasion of Andalusia - 711February 4, 201630minStudy the events surrounding the incursion of Berber-Arab armies into the Iberian peninsula in 711, leading to Muslim domination of the region that would last 800 years. Witness the fateful Battle of Guadalete and the Arabs’ advance north, and consider both the immediate legacy of the invasion and its overall impact on European history.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E7 - Battle of Talas - 751February 4, 201629minThe Battle of Talas in Central Asia was the only occasion when Arab and Chinese armies would oppose one another. Explore the factors leading to the encounter, the lengthy battle that led to victory for the Abbasid Arabs, and the resulting spread of papermaking to the Middle East, an event with global impact.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E8 - The Founding of Baghdad - 762February 4, 201631minAs the political center of the Muslim world, Baghdad would have a role and importance unlike any other urban center on earth. Chart the building of Baghdad as an imperial capital; explore its monumental, Persian-inspired architectural design; and discover the human factors that made it one of the greatest centers of learning in human history.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E9 - Islamic Golden Age Begins - 813February 4, 201632minUnder the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun, Baghdad thrived as both a center of trade and manufacturing and a world city of scholarship. Consider al-Ma'mun's lavish patronage of learning, his promotion of translation and scholarly missions, and his extraordinary influence in three areas: literature, the sciences, and Islamic theology.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E10 - Qairouan University - 859February 4, 201631minThe world's first university was founded by a visionary Muslim woman in the city of Fes, Morocco. Learn how this groundbreaking institution made advanced education available to all. Assess its influence in the Middle East, discover its unrivaled impact on European learning, and examine the life and work of one of its most celebrated alumni.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E11 - The Fatimids of Cairo - 969February 4, 201631minFollow the rise of the Fatimids-history's only Shia caliphate-in political and religious opposition to the Baghdad-based Abbasids. Witness the founding of Cairo as the new Fatimid capital, and examine the enlightened leadership of the 4th and 5th Fatimid caliphs, under whom Cairo became the most important city in the Islamic world.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E12 - Umayyad Exile in Cordoba - 784 - 1031February 4, 201631minDiscover the golden age of Cordoba as a global center of education and culture. Learn how the displaced Umayyad caliphate established a kingdom in exile in Cordoba, whose rulers oversaw remarkable advancements in lifestyle and manners, magnificent architecture and urban development, and the cultivation of the best available Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scholarship.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E13 - Al-Ghazali and Orthodoxy - 1090February 4, 201631minThe theologian and philosopher Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali has been called the most influential Muslim after Muhammad. Witness al-Ghazali's rise to become a renowned Islamic legal scholar, and reflect on the profound impact of his diverse writings. Investigate his passionate challenge to Neo-Platonism in Islamic theology, and assess the continuing legacy of his work.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E14 - Crusaders Capture Jerusalem - 1099February 4, 201631minStudy the complex motives and competing interests that launched the Christian crusade to take Jerusalem from its Muslim occupiers. Follow the events of the Pope's dramatic call to arms and the bloody assault against the Holy City, and take account of its aftermath as well as its long-term effects on history.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E15 - Muslims in the Court of Roger II - 1130February 4, 201631minEncounter the remarkable Kingdom of Sicily under the enlightened and tolerant rule of the Norman king Roger II. Grasp how Norman invaders established a kingdom in southern Italy, and learn about the unique features of life there, including extraordinary legal, economic, and architectural achievements. Consider Roger's legacy and why it remains relevant today.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E16 - Saladin: Chivalry and Conquest - 1187February 4, 201631minThe Muslim general Saladin stands as a unique figure in Middle Eastern history. Plunge into the pivotal Battle of Hattin, where Saladin's forces decimated the Crusader armies, shifting the balance of power in the Holy Land. Contemplate the combination of brilliant strategy and chivalrous treatment of his enemies that characterized this most remarkable of leaders.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E17 - The Egyptian Mamluks - 1250February 4, 201630minThe Mamluks were an unprecedented phenomenon-a community of slaves who became rulers. Investigate the origins of the Mamluks, and uncover how this elite warrior class took power in Egypt. Learn about the Mamluks’ empire, their meritocratic system, and how they defeated a vast army that had never been beaten in battle: the Mongols.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E18 - Mongols Sack Baghdad - 1258February 4, 201630minThis lecture narrates the calamity that befell the world's largest, most prosperous, and most celebrated city. First trace the rise of the Mongols, a fierce and most destructive ancient empire. Then follow their conquest of the Abbasids of Baghdad, culminating in the horrific siege that effectively ended the Islamic Golden Age.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E19 - Ottoman Empire Rises - 1299February 4, 201631minThe dazzling empire of the Ottomans was the longest-lasting empire in Middle Eastern history. Learn about the dream of Osman, the Ottomans’ founder, which impelled him to establish what became a transcontinental superpower. Grasp what allowed the Ottomans to thrive and to spread across Anatolia, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E20 - Mansa Musa, Richest Man - 1324February 4, 201630minHistory's richest human being was reputedly the African emperor Mansa Musa. Trace the events of Musa's legendary hajj to Mecca, where his lavish spending destabilized the economy of Egypt. Learn about his subsequent creation of a university and library that remain among the most important repositories of ancient wisdom in the world.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E21 - Ibn Khaldun’s Masterpiece - 1377February 4, 201631minDiscover the life and times of the brilliant Ibn Khaldun, who produced the Muquaddimah, one of the most original works of scholarship ever written. Follow his astonishing career as a scholar, historian, and judge, and investigate his magnum opus, a philosophy of history that delineates patterns that govern the transformation of human societies.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E22 - Ottomans Seize Constantinople - 1453February 4, 201630minGrasp why the storied city of Constantinople had great strategic importance to the burgeoning Ottoman Empire. Witness the fiercely contested siege of the city, revealing the Ottoman offensive by both land and sea. Take account of how the city's fall arguably marked the end of both the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E23 - Fall of Granada - 1492February 4, 201630minThe fall of Granada marked the end of 800 years of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula. Study the fitful Granada war that unfolded over ten years, leading to a final eight-month siege under the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. Follow the events of the state-sanctioned persecution of Jews and Muslims that followed.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E24 - Safavid Dynasty of Persia - 1501February 4, 201630minExamine the birth of the 250-year Safavid Empire, established by the religious leader, warrior, and poet Ismail. Observe how Ismail forcibly converted his entire kingdom to the Shiite Islamic faith, introduced a new military system, and put in place the Persian bureaucratic framework that underlies the modern nation of Iran.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E25 - Selim the Grim - 1512February 4, 201630minInvestigate the achievements of this most fearsome and pivotal of Ottoman rulers. Learn how Selim vanquished the threatening Safavid Empire after violently wresting power from his father. Track his dramatic expansionist policy, tripling the Ottoman territories in less than a decade, and his defeat of the Egyptian Mamluks, becoming the first Ottoman Caliph.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
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