Global encounters: Europe and the Ottoman Empire, 1100-1700

What is the course about?

This is an introductory course that explores the rise of the Ottoman Turks with particular focus on their interaction with the West.

Over 6 weeks we will look at key events and themes that underpinned relations between Islam and Christians in medieval and early modern Europe.

What will we cover?

We begin by exploring the background history and themes that emerge during the Middle Ages. On the one hand there were fundamental religious differences, but on the other, the Ottomans controlled the trade routes to the spices and silks in the Far East.

In week two, we study the rise of the family of Osman, later known as the Ottomans. Our focus will be on Mehmet’s capture of Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453 and its impact on Europe.

Week three will focus on the sixteenth century which saw the apogee of Ottoman power and the first European ambassadors to the sultan’s court.

Weeks four and five will be devoted to the art and literature that emerged to visualise ‘the Turk’.

In our final week we study the autobiography of Osman of Timisoara who spent years in Vienna as a Turkish captive.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Identify ways in which Christians and Muslims interacted during the immediate aftermath of 1453
- Describe the interaction between European ambassadors and the Ottoman court as revealed in the letters of Ogier Busbecq
- Explain the causes and consequences of the battle of Lepanto (1571) and siege of Vienna (1683) as depicted in art.
- Interpret seventeenth-century Muslim attitudes towards the West from the writings of Celebi and Osman of Timisoara.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is for anyone with an enquiring mind and an enthusiasm for history. No previous knowledge is
necessary but a good understanding of English is essential, as is a willingness to engage constructively in any class discussions.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Each week there will be an informative talk, using PowerPoint, during which class discussion will be encouraged.
We shall use small group work to analyse original sources and a range of handouts will be available for discussion
purposes.

Occasionally small pieces of homework reading will be distributed to augment your knowledge. You are
encouraged to bring along/describe items you have read in newspapers/heard on radio/seen on TV you think may be of interest to the group.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

There are no additional costs although you may wish to bring note-taking materials.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

HWH155 Empresses and Khatuns
HWH97 Global encounters: Gold, the Enslaved and Exotic Animals: Europe and Africa before 1700
HWH147 They're coming! Barbarians around the World before 1700.