History 220: Ottomania! History, Politics, and Memory of the Ottoman Empire

Blending traditional study of history with a sprinkle of politics and popular culture, this course is an unconventional survey of the Ottoman Empire (1299-1918) from its inception, expansion, and eventual collapse. Students will learn the history of the Ottomans while tracing the phenomenon of Ottomania—a neologism for the positive and negative memories of empire that continue to influence Turkish society, culture, and politics. Framed diachronically, the social and political histories of the empire are placed in dialogue with the political and cultural deployment of the Ottoman past. The course finishes with the formation of modern Turkey through state violence against its Greek, Kurdish, and the Armenian minorities and how those events are both remembered and forgotten. Assignments include readings, film and television program viewings, and an individually-designed final research project. May be taken for credit toward the South Asian & Middle Eastern studies major or the Indigeneity, Race, and Ethnicity Studies major or minor.