Islamic Empires: The Cities That Shaped Civilization From Mecca to Dubai

Following the core book, each week we will discuss a different city that was at the core of an Islamic empire after Islam came into existence in the 7th Century. We will cover a remarkably wide geographical area: from the western reaches of Islamic empires (Cordoba in southern Spain, Fez in Morocco and Tripoli in Libya), to the Middle East (Mecca, Damascus, Cairo, Beirut and Jerusalem), Baghdad (in the heart of ancient Mesopotamia), to one of the most important cities in world history (Constantinople or Istanbul), and further east to Iran (Isfahan), Afghanistan (Kabul), Central Asia (Samarkand in Uzbekistan) and the Mughal Empire in India, and we will end with futuristic cities of Dubai and Doha in the Persian Gulf.

We will study the expansion of Islam by the sword, by religious appeal and by cultural influence; we will see the glorious cities of Islam at their peak, when their trade and economic power, culture, urban design, science, scholarship, art and architecture outshone those of Europe. We’ll cover Islamic dynasties that shaped world history, like the Umayyad, Abassid, Timurid, Fatimid, Safavid, Mamluk, and Ottoman, as well as the religious sects of Shia, Sufi, Sunni, Wahlabi and others. We’ll also study the incredible architecture of cities such as Baghdad, Isfahan and Cordoba, and a remarkable array of individuals, including those who formed Islamic dynasties and empires, like al Mansur (the Abassid Dynasty), Ismail I (the Safavid) and Babur and Akbar (the Mughal Empire), as well as conquerors like Tamerlane and Saladin, scholars, city-planners, artists,  Barbary pirates, religious fundamentalists, and modern businessmen of incredible vision.

This SDG offers a different look at Islamic history, its rise and decline, one at odds with our Eurocentric view of history and Islam. 

Although our core book is organized by city and century, we will also include other material that will illuminate more generally the history of Islam and the Islamic empires, such as Tamim Ansary’s Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes.  Please note that this course does not cover all of the history of Islam. For example, Islam in Southeast Asia is outside of our purview.

Stalin: Waiting for Hitler, 1929-1941

“Nothing less than a history of the world from Stalin’s desk” say reviewers of Stephen Kotkin’s award-winning Stalin: Waiting for Hitler 1929-1941, volume two of an expected three volume masterpiece on this most complicated man and his place in the history. Just as in his first volume, Stalin: Paradoxes of Power 1878-1928, which we are using as the core book in a spring 2022 SDG, Kotkin presents a history of Russia in the world and a history of Stalin in Russia.

Stalin’s desk was in what has been called Stalin's Little Corner in the Imperial Senate. Stalin's wing had its own entrance and a special door separating it from the other offices. It was 1600 square feet and had a concealed escape shaft leading to the basement. It was from here that Stalin micromanaged Russian culture and conducted foreign policy in every corner of the world.

We will locate Stalin in the context of European and Asian history during the lead up to World War II. With Japan and Germany sat on either side of the Soviet Union, Stalin felt himself encircled by enemies. To prepare, he industrialized and militarized at a breathtaking and murderous speed.

By the 1930s he was arresting and murdering an immense number of citizens: kulaks, anti-collectivization peasant, loyal followers, officers and secret police and party stalwarts. With a stroke of his pen – or, for that matter, a general or veiled directive to a devoted underling – he snuffed out and erased all trace of thousands of lives on a daily basis. Kotkin pinpoints three central episodes for Russian and world history from 1929-41: the 1929 collectivization of agriculture, the mass terror of 1936-38, and the 1939 non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany that had world-wide impacts.

Joseph Stalin was a human being, a dedicated Communist, and a dictator. He embodied global communism and the Eurasian multinational state. ‘Murderous’ and ‘mendacious’ do not begin to describe the man. Yet, he galvanized millions and led the Russian people to an astounding victory and national greatness.

While the core book is of formidable length it is an absorbing read. The author maintains a laser focus on Stalin’s inner world – what he knew, what he did not know, and what he chose to ignore - and provides the reader with startling insight into a man whose vision and decisions – often shockingly arbitrary – impacted millions and changed world history. Custom-made for an SDG, the book has 14 chapters, each averaging 65-70 pages.

History and Geopolitics: The United States and the World

We have largely been taught that human history and thus world politics are largely the function of competing ideologies and religions. In fact, "geophysical configurations" is as much a factor if not more so. In this SDG we will look at two controversial geopolitical theories of the United States and the world as we try to discover the truths about the United States and its role in the world past, present and future. Are we in fact the "shining city on the hill" or a country in just the right place in the right time. And if this is so, what can we predict about the future. In The Revenge of Geography by Robert Kaplan and The Accidental Super Power by Peter Zeihan we are introduced to two political geographers who have used their considerable insight in assessing our historical past and political future based upon geopolitical analysis. You may not always agree with them but they will certainly give us all room for thought.

The Gershwin Brothers: Their Lives and Their Music

“Rhapsody in Blue,” “An American in Paris,” “Porgy and Bess,” were some of over 500 compositions created by George Gershwin (1896 – 1937) during his very brief life. What was his path from New York city song plugger to Hollywood composer of film scores? His older brother Ira (1896 – 1983) collaborated with him to write the lyrics for songs like, “I Got Rhythm, “Embraceable You,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” The last song they wrote together, "Our Love is Here to Stay," is perhaps symbolic of their partnership. Ira continued his lyricist journey after the death of his brother with composers like Jerome Kern and Harold Arlen. What motivated two Brooklyn born brothers with Russian Jewish heritage to compose such innovative music? The core book, The Gershwin Years: George and Ira, is both the definitive biography of the Gershwin brothers and a lavishly illustrated chronicle of the American era their music and lyrics embodied. With the help of YouTube, we will be enjoying many of their musical works each week.

The Story of Language

We want to study the overview of language, its history, varieties, forms and functions. The list of chapters gives only a partial overview of the subject we will study. They also include: the sounds of language, words, nonlinguistic systems of communication, evolution of language, language and literature, and many more (altogether about 50 subjects). The modern spoken languages comprise about four weeks of study (out of 14) but the text is peppered with examples in all tongues.

The text by Mario Pei is a grand oldie. It is nevertheless the most comprehensive and the best-balanced introduction to the study of language, as well as very readable and understandable. The book is not a scholarly text on the theory of linguistics. This is a lively and entertaining book on language, well written and stimulating.