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The dissertation is a core component of all Masters programmes at SOAS. The supervised dissertation research requires the ability to work independently on an original piece of research, to demonstrate familiarity with the relevant literature and present the resulting dissertation in a clear and organised format. The research and writing of the Masters dissertation is a crucial component of Research-based Masters training.? The dissertation has a 10,000 word limit and counts for 33% of the overall degree.

This module takes the Area Studies of Asia, Africa and the Middle East (AAME) as a field to be pulled into focus through the lens of the regions themselves. It achieves this through attending to questions of what the concept of area/region/nation connotes in the context of AAME and, in particular, how that concept has been mediated through the effects of colonialism and colonial forms of knowledge production. With the objective of decolonising Area Studies of AAME and of looking at its transformation both conceptually and in practice, the module brings to the fore key texts that have emerged from AAME and examines them from the perspective of geographical spaces that provide alternatives to Area Studies in the Western world.

This module examines histories of Islamic art from the perspective of cultural contacts with Europe, exploring the ways in which Islamic artefacts were acquired, appreciated, utilized and imitated, and placing them also within the wider framework of the developing European intellectual awareness of Islam.

This module examines the illumination and illustration of manuscripts within the book culture of the Arab world, including manuscripts of the Qur'an, and scientific and literary manuscripts. Through various theoretical approaches, the module challenges the binary construct of text and image, and deconstructs criteria inherited from Western art-historical scholarship. Through the study of a wide range of illuminated and illustrated manuscripts, the module explores the role of paintings beyond text, and stylistic modalities of representation and spatial organization as autonomous areas of aesthetic expression. It also studies the materiality of the manuscripts, including paper, colours, gold, and leather bookbindings. 

This module studies the social construction of vision in the premodern urban Islamic world, with particular reference to North Africa. Attention is paid to 1) the sociological factors that influence vision and help determine what is visible and invisible for any given region of this world; and 2) the elements of the built environment that reinforce and index aspects of this socialised vision. The module's goals are two. First, to raise the question of visuality in Islamic art history, and then to work towards defining premodern urban Islamic visuality, with particular reference to the medinas of North Africa. Second, to highlight 1) the modern visual subculture, or 'scopic regime' undergirding certain key aspects of contemporary art historical practice; and 2) the importance of attending to the visual logic of the society whose material culture is under analysis.

This module is designed to introduce the material culture (art, architecture, numismatics, and so-called 'minor arts') of the different peoples and polities of medieval and early modern Anatolia in the Seljuk, Beylik, and early Ottoman periods. Students will learn to analyse the totality of material cultural production and how it changed as the result of economic, social, and historical forces. They will learn to analyse the artistic interplay between Islamic and Christian societies, as well as the artistic manifestations of such subjects as mysticism, chivalry, and Eurasian steppe traditions

This module examines the Islamic art and architecture of the Mediterranean basin between the 12th and 14th centuries, the period of the Crusades. It was a time of dynamism, with the rise of Latin Christian cultures in the north and west, the Reconquista, the Crusades, the eclipse of the Byzantine Empire, and the rise of Turco-Islamic states in its stead. While this course concentrates on Islamic art, it will examine overlaps between Islamic and Christian arts in the eastern Mediterranean during the two centuries of the Crusader states of the eastern Mediterranean. Emphasis will be on dynastic and regional developments, but will also track the rise of the commercialisation of material culture production. It also aims to sample the full range of material culture, complementing traditional emphases on arts of the court and religious art with commercial architecture, numismatics, and archaeological finds.

This module covers the period from the 5th century of the Common Era through to the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in the 14th century . It focusses primarily on the overland routes (Silk and Steppe) that connected China with Central Asia and also Northern India and Persia. Using both archaeological and textual materials, it examines the role of contact, interaction and exchange on the development of material culture (tombs, architecture, textiles, metalwork, ceramics, painting, sculpture, glass) in Central Asia and China.

This course is about the economic structures, institutions and policy challenges in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The module starts with a broad economic history of the region since the mid 19th Century and goes on to address selected aspects of economic policy in the contemporary period in areas related to natural and human resources. Among the topics covered are: the oil sector, labour migration and capital flows, problems of industrialization in resource based economies, and population transition. For the purposes of this course, the MENA region comprises the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey.

This module explores Gender as a category of historical analysis based on an exploration of case studies from the histories of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It will analyse gender in relation to other concepts, such as class, race, ethnicity, empire, coloniality, sexuality, etc., and explore how these categories shaped the historical experiences of individuals with various gender identities on the one hand and the histories of empires and nations on the other hand.

What makes a person worthy or unworthy of freedom? Who is entitled to justice? What do we mean by equality? Although understood and dealt with differently in different contexts, these questions have constituted, as they still do today, the central concerns and dilemmas in all past societies. Starting with different formulations of a ‘just society’ across time and space, this module explores historical contexts in which these magic yet elusive ideas took on new meanings and significance. Organized thematically, weekly reading assignments and discussions address such topics as revolution, emancipation, forms of free and unfree labour, decolonization, and gendered aspects of rights and obligations.

This module studies the historical foundations of colonialism and revolution in the Middle East. It does not begin with a preconceived conception of the ‘colonial’ but examines a series of spatial and temporal transformations through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the region. It explores the conceptual distinctions that emerged between the ‘economic’, the ‘religious’ and the ‘political’ to ask a series of questions: Where do we locate the ‘colonial’? At what moments does it come to be elaborated? Is it merely a result of ‘physical’ occupation by European powers, or could it have begun in another set of relations? Could the Ottoman empire and Qajar Iran be seen to become ‘colonial’ as the nineteenth century progressed?And what forms of resistance and revolution did this generate?  Each week, the module examines one of the central categories of political and economic history, unpacking the processes by which they have emerged, transformed, or come to be reconfigured.

This half course aims to examine the substantive bodies of law and procedure and the legal systems in operation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in modern times, in particular regard to their treatment of and interaction with gender, women's rights and normative claims and practices in society. Further context is given by consideration of the increasing reach of international legal instruments governing a broad spectrum of legal activities implicated in the study of gender, law and society.

This module provides a detailed examination of Islamic family law, covering the laws of marriage, dissolution of marriages, guardianship and child custody. These are examined in light of classical rules of Islamic jurisprudence and recent family law reforms in different parts of the Muslim world and also with relevant examples from UK cases. Taking the different areas of family law in turn, we examine the development of positions in the different jurisprudential schools (including the sources on which the classical schools relied) before considering later (colonial and post colonial) treatment of and approaches to these areas of law in states' courts and codes. A focus on codification and the modern state's identity as legislator is highlighted. Approaches to reform of particular areas of law by different social actors are considered, including the use they make of classical and post-classical sources.

This module presents, from a comparative legal perspective, an overview of Islamic law in its theoretical, historical and jurisprudential evolution. Islamic legal theory (Usul al-Fiqh) is considered from a comparative perspective with a critical analysis of its history, development and application in contemporary jurisdictions. An overview of the historical and jurisprudential themes includes the relationship between sacred texts and human reason in the development of the law, dissent and consensus in the articulation of the law, law and morality and normative pluralism.

The module examines the substantive bodies of law and procedure and the legal systems in operation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in modern times, including in their relationship with regional and international normative systems.

This module critically explores the different theoretical perspectives of the relationship between Human Rights and Islamic law and examines the practices of some relevant Muslim-majority States in that regard.

This module critically explores the different theoretical perspectives of the relationship between Human Rights and Islamic law and examines the practices of some relevant Muslim-majority States in that regard. Following on from Part 1, this module focuses on substantive issues, States practices and application of the law.

The Jewish people have been on the move for as long as they’ve been called Jews. Key dates of expulsion define Jewish history - 586 BCE, 1492, post-1948 - but took place in regions that are today associated with Sephardi/Mizrahi Judaism. This class will consider the musical styles of the Jews of Arab lands through the experience of exile and diaspora. Focusing on the languages, rituals and musical styles that developed over centuries across the Arab world, we will examine how the experience of Jewish exile helped to shape Middle Eastern and North African soundworlds.

Morocco is unique in its religious, cultural and musical diversity. With a Jewish population that dates back over a thousand years, a Berber population that has its own languages, and former slaves who were brought from sub-Saharan Africa over centuries, Morocco’s official culture is a diverse array of ethnic minorities who are often invisible in other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. This module delves into the musical genres that make Morocco unique, from Andalusi to Gnawa, including contemporary Judeo-Arabic pop, hip hop post-Arab spring, and the religious practices of Jews and Muslims.

In this module, selections of Palestinian writings in different genres will be read and analysed as exemplars of literary responses to a situation of alienation and displacement, with particular focus on tradition and innovation, the construction and maintenance of identity, coping strategies and the evolving social function of literature in the context of the current conflict.

This module is primarily an advanced language use course (MA In Theory and Practice of Translation [Asia & Africa]), however, the study of the literary history of Iran and the development of Persian poetry complements the study of Persian culture and the cultural characteristics of the wider region of Near & Middle East and Asia (MA in Cultural Studies).

The aim of the course is to provide an overview of the ways in which varying bodies of scholarship across and intra-various disciplines engage and study Palestine, and also an examination of how the study of Palestine cuts across and informs scholarly, theoretical, political and disciplinary approaches. The course addresses issues relating to the questions of conflict and political economy, development, cultural politics, social and economic relations, identity, and other major concerns of humanities and social sciences.

This module approaches Zionism analytically, and examines its changing meaning and praxis. We look at a wide selection of sources and secondary literature, by sympathisers, opponents and critics of Zionism. The class will look at the main debates regarding the Zionist movement, both historically and current.

This module provides a historical overview of the Israel-Palestine conflict, from late Ottoman Palestine, through the 1948 war and the establishment of Israel, to the Oslo accords. The module interrogates the historical dynamic in Palestine/Israel and its contestations through social and cultural history.

The course focuses on the transition from empire to republic, examining the key turning points and assessing the relevance of the events of the 1908-1945 period for understanding Modern Turkey.

The module will offer a survey of films from the Arab world, Turkey, Iran, and Israel, as well as an overview of the historical development of film in the region and a grounding in the socio-cultural contexts in which films have been produced. Films will be analysed aesthetically, with an awareness of multiple aspects of film technique, and meanings will be interrogated through a number of interdisciplinary and theoretical prisms.

The Qur’an serves not only as the foundational text of Islam, but also as the pre-eminent literary masterpiece of the Arabic language. With the aim of situating the text of the Qur’an within its historical and literary contexts, Part A of this module is aggregated around a percipient gauging of the discourses dominating the academic study of the Qur’an. Broaching the study of the text through a critical array of Arabic primary sources, the subjects and themes covered in the module include the Qur'an's language, structure, and composition; and thematic content.

Preserved in the form of individual reports and dicta, the literary material of the hadiths (Prophetic traditions) serves as one of the foundational textual sources of the Islam. The classical traditions of learning associated with the study of the hadith have a distinguished literary heritage, spanning across many centuries. This module examines the hadiths, reflecting upon their theoretical importance with the matrices of classical Islamic thought. Introducing the academic scholarship which has defined the study of traditions, the module gauges the significance of the classical forms of writing which developed around their collection and analysis as formulated by scholars.

In this module we will examine the major contemporary historical eras, and transformative developments in Iran's history, including the constitutional revolution and the 1979 revolution and social changes since the late 19th century. We will also analyse the political structures and institutions in Iran, exploring the evolution of its governance systems and the social dynamics of power within the country.

In this module we will examine the major social and cultural events, and transformative developments in Iran's contemporary history. We will also analyse Iranian literature, cultural heritage, and social developments, exploring the social dynamics of the Iranian nation. Through this module we will examine Iranian cinema, Iranian youth and women activism, social activism within digital space as well as sport and national identity. This module will allow us to critically evaluate the impact of social and cultural factors, including religion, ethnicity, gender, art, and civil society, on Iran's societal landscape.

The module examines the early modern and contemporary reformulations of Islamic thought and practices in response to modern challenges (19th, 20th & 21st centuries). The module will begin by examining the nature of these challenges, and how modern Muslims responded to them. The module will identify the similarities and differences between the premodern and modern reformist movements throughout Muslim-majority societies, and how Muslims have reformulated foundational dimensions of Islamic jurisprudence and theology in their efforts to adapted to modern developments. The module will also examine?the main features and characteristics of the prominent trends in contemporary Islamic thought (Islamist, Salafi, Progressive and Neo-Traditionalist), highlighting similarities and differences between them in relation to how they engage with the authoritative texts (Qur’an & hadiths), as well as the diversity of expressions within these trends. The module will identify how these diverse modern reformulations and trends are based on criticisms of classical developments in Islamic thought and practices, and how they attempt to ‘reform’ (i?la?) these using different methodologies. The module will also emphasise how these modern reformulations invoke the classical Islamic legacy of renewal (tajdid) in different ways resulting in different modern understandings of ‘Islam’. The module aims to develop a theoretical foundation for understanding these modern Islamic trends, and this foundation underpins the subsequent examination of expressions of these trends in relation to particular themes in the module convened in term two: Modern Trends in Islam (ii): Manifestations.

This term 2 module builds on and follows from the term 1 module: Modern Trends in Islam (i): Foundations (Modern Trends in Islam (i): Foundations is a pre-requisite for the Modern Trends in Islam (ii): Manifestations). It examines how the diversity of reformulations in Islamic thought and practices by the different modern trends (Islamist, Salafi, Progressive and Neo-Traditional) are expressed with reference to different themes that are significant for contemporary Muslims (and non-Muslims). Building on the theoretical framework examined in the term 1 module, this term 2 module will examine in significant detail how modern Muslims develop different methodologies and theories that give rise to different responses to contemporary challenges. It will also explore that diversity of views within the trends themselves (i.e. diversity of views and methodologies within Salafism). Each week there will be an examination of how the different trends reformulate Islamic thought and practices in relation to the theme in question, but there will also be further focus on how a specific trend develop these reformulations (for example, concerning the theme of gender relations there will be an examination of how the different trends like Salafism, Neo-traditionalism and Islamism develop reformulations in Islamic jurisprudence in the lecture, but there will be focus on how Progressives develop different methodologies in response to the challenge of patriarchy in the lecture and tutorial). Students will be able to examine in detailed and evaluate the different trends within the framework of specific themes (themes like gender relations, violence and terrorism, democracy and human rights). The module will also examine the significance of neo-theological reformulations beyond the jurisprudential ones.

The course focuses on key issues in the study of politics in the Middle East. The main questions pertain to state-society relations and interaction. To understand the modes of governance and patterns of societal action, the course examines the forms of power deployed in the interplay between state and societal forces. Integral to this examination is reflection on the analytical and conceptual tools used to understand and explain state-society relations. Concepts such as “the state”, class, sect, and informal politics are critically examined and assessed within a larger attention to the politics of knowledge production in the Middle East. Whilst interrogating these concepts, we pay close attention to how historical context and region-transforming forces such as colonialism, modern state-formation, and neoliberalism, empirically shaped these societal formations and power dynamics as well as how they were studied in the field. The course takes a close look at the analytical assumptions underlying the main theoretical approaches to the study of the region and the empirical tools deployed to open new lines of enquiry. Finally, the course considers the ways in which some of the principal theories and analytical frameworks used to analyse state-society relations in the Middle East have been challenged by the events of the Arab Uprisings and their aftermath.

The course begins by establishing the religion in a historical context starting with early Muslim migrations and settlement in Britain in the 19th century, through the various phases of subsequent migrations, to the institutionalising of Islam in Britain in the early twentieth century and the emergence of community leaders. Within this framework it will cover the different ethnic, sectarian and doctrinal approaches to Islam belonging to and/or adopted by migrants and second and third generation Muslims. The second part of the course will focus on particular issues that have arisen, uniquely, out of the above context and in response to world events.

This module will trace the development of Jewish thought from its Middle Eastern origins in antiquity to the Westernisation and Europeanisation of Judaism in the 19th century, as the consequence of the philosophical Enlightenment and Jewish Emancipation. Jewish thought can be understood properly only within its respective historical, political, and cultural contexts. Starting with the Torah/Hebrew Bible as the very basis of Judaism, subsequent sessions will explore Jewish thinkers' encounters with Hellenism (Philo of Alexandria), Roman imperialism (rabbis), Islam (Maimonides), European Enlightenment philosophy (Moses Mendelssohn), Psychoanalysis (Freud), Existentialism (Rosenzweig, Buber, and Soloveitchik), Marxism (Levinas), and Postmodernism. The module will familiarize students with an intellectual tradition that developed mostly outside of the western orbit until a hundred years ago, and explore the changes brought about by assimilation to western European culture.

Zoroastrianism, known of old as ‘the Persian religion’, is one of the world’s most ancient living religions and one of Iran’s great contributions to the history of religious thought. It is deeply rooted in the prehistoric Indo-Iranian and, ultimately, Indo-European tradition and thus shares a common heritage with the Vedic religion and Hinduism. In its long history it has been in contact with many other religions, notably Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. For over a thousand years it was the dominant religion of three great Iranian empires under the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian rulers, extending at times from the Indus river to the coastline and islands of Asia Minor.
This course offers both a survey of the teachings, history and religious practice of the Zoroastrian tradition and in-depth analysis of individual aspects. Topics that will be studied in greater detail include issues of the contemporary community in a historical perspective.
Teaching happens in the form of a one-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar. Students will be asked to analyse and critique reading material on a weekly basis. Topics of the seminars will include the role of orality in Zoroastrian studies, theoretical and methodological approaches to Zoroastrian studies, and the links between Zoroastrianism and migration and diaspora studies.

Zoroastrianism, known of old as ‘the Persian religion’, is one of the world’s most ancient living religions and one of Iran’s great contributions to the history of religious thought. It is deeply rooted in the prehistoric Indo-Iranian and, ultimately, Indo-European tradition and thus shares a common heritage with the Vedic religion and Hinduism. In its long history it has been in contact with many other religions, notably Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. For over a thousand years it was the dominant religion of three great Iranian empires under the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian rulers, extending at times from the Indus river to the coastline and islands of Asia Minor.
This course offers both a survey of the teachings, history and religious practice of the Zoroastrian tradition and in-depth analysis of individual aspects. Topics that will be studied in greater detail include issues of the contemporary community in a historical perspective.
Teaching happens in the form of a one-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar. Students will be asked to analyse and critique reading material on a weekly basis. Topics of the seminars will include the role of orality in Zoroastrian studies, theoretical and methodological approaches to Zoroastrian studies, and the links between Zoroastrianism and migration and diaspora studies.

This module examines histories of Islamic art from the perspective of cultural contacts with Europe, exploring the ways in which Islamic artefacts were acquired, appreciated, utilized and imitated, and placing them also within the wider framework of the developing European intellectual awareness of Islam.

This module examines the illumination and illustration of manuscripts within the book culture of the Arab world, including manuscripts of the Qur'an, and scientific and literary manuscripts. Through various theoretical approaches, the module challenges the binary construct of text and image, and deconstructs criteria inherited from Western art-historical scholarship. Through the study of a wide range of illuminated and illustrated manuscripts, the module explores the role of paintings beyond text, and stylistic modalities of representation and spatial organization as autonomous areas of aesthetic expression. It also studies the materiality of the manuscripts, including paper, colours, gold, and leather bookbindings. 

This module studies the social construction of vision in the premodern urban Islamic world, with particular reference to North Africa. Attention is paid to 1) the sociological factors that influence vision and help determine what is visible and invisible for any given region of this world; and 2) the elements of the built environment that reinforce and index aspects of this socialised vision. The module's goals are two. First, to raise the question of visuality in Islamic art history, and then to work towards defining premodern urban Islamic visuality, with particular reference to the medinas of North Africa. Second, to highlight 1) the modern visual subculture, or 'scopic regime' undergirding certain key aspects of contemporary art historical practice; and 2) the importance of attending to the visual logic of the society whose material culture is under analysis.

This module is designed to introduce the material culture (art, architecture, numismatics, and so-called 'minor arts') of the different peoples and polities of medieval and early modern Anatolia in the Seljuk, Beylik, and early Ottoman periods. Students will learn to analyse the totality of material cultural production and how it changed as the result of economic, social, and historical forces. They will learn to analyse the artistic interplay between Islamic and Christian societies, as well as the artistic manifestations of such subjects as mysticism, chivalry, and Eurasian steppe traditions

This module examines the Islamic art and architecture of the Mediterranean basin between the 12th and 14th centuries, the period of the Crusades. It was a time of dynamism, with the rise of Latin Christian cultures in the north and west, the Reconquista, the Crusades, the eclipse of the Byzantine Empire, and the rise of Turco-Islamic states in its stead. While this course concentrates on Islamic art, it will examine overlaps between Islamic and Christian arts in the eastern Mediterranean during the two centuries of the Crusader states of the eastern Mediterranean. Emphasis will be on dynastic and regional developments, but will also track the rise of the commercialisation of material culture production. It also aims to sample the full range of material culture, complementing traditional emphases on arts of the court and religious art with commercial architecture, numismatics, and archaeological finds.

This module covers the period from the 5th century of the Common Era through to the collapse of the Yuan dynasty in the 14th century . It focusses primarily on the overland routes (Silk and Steppe) that connected China with Central Asia and also Northern India and Persia. Using both archaeological and textual materials, it examines the role of contact, interaction and exchange on the development of material culture (tombs, architecture, textiles, metalwork, ceramics, painting, sculpture, glass) in Central Asia and China.

This course is about the economic structures, institutions and policy challenges in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The module starts with a broad economic history of the region since the mid 19th Century and goes on to address selected aspects of economic policy in the contemporary period in areas related to natural and human resources. Among the topics covered are: the oil sector, labour migration and capital flows, problems of industrialization in resource based economies, and population transition. For the purposes of this course, the MENA region comprises the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey.

This interdisciplinary module approaches gender and sexual dynamics in the modern Middle East through the lens of political unrest, protest, and revolution. Through a study of critical moments in Middle Eastern history characterised by rupture, flux, and upheaval, students will explore how norms of gender and sexuality in the region emerge, develop, sediment, evolve, and get disrupted.

Migration and diaspora are - like gender – not descriptive, objective categories, but analytical tools to name positions of power. In this course we discuss what gendering, diaspora and migration can imply as analytical (not descriptive) categories and how they are constructed interdependently by power relations. We will engage with a range of approaches to gender, migrations and diasporas and will address the social and political dimensions of migration and diasporas as well as politics related to constructions of non/belonging, cultural productions and imaginations.

This course is intended to provide both an introduction to queer theory, as well as to engage with the question of its relevance in contemporary Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. This course will use struggles for sexual self-determination as a prism through which to consider broader questions about the constitution of modernity, the proliferation of identities, rights and claims for justice, the consolidation and deconstruction of postcolonial national identities, the aspirations and anxieties of postcolonial elites, etc. These questions will be studied contextually, with topics in many weeks focusing on a single area case study, or a comparison of two or more country-contexts.

This module explores Gender as a category of historical analysis based on an exploration of case studies from the histories of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It will analyse gender in relation to other concepts, such as class, race, ethnicity, empire, coloniality, sexuality, etc., and explore how these categories shaped the historical experiences of individuals with various gender identities on the one hand and the histories of empires and nations on the other hand.

This course discusses emerging identities and contending views in the origins and early history of Islam, 600 and 1000 CE. The approach is historical, and examines the crucial question of how different types of Islam emergened.

This postgraduate module examines the various international and domestic factors that led to and fed the wars in Afghanistan (and standoff between the US and Iran) since 1979.

What makes a person worthy or unworthy of freedom? Who is entitled to justice? What do we mean by equality? Although understood and dealt with differently in different contexts, these questions have constituted, as they still do today, the central concerns and dilemmas in all past societies. Starting with different formulations of a ‘just society’ across time and space, this module explores historical contexts in which these magic yet elusive ideas took on new meanings and significance. Organized thematically, weekly reading assignments and discussions address such topics as revolution, emancipation, forms of free and unfree labour, decolonization, and gendered aspects of rights and obligations.

This module studies the historical foundations of colonialism and revolution in the Middle East. It does not begin with a preconceived conception of the ‘colonial’ but examines a series of spatial and temporal transformations through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the region. It explores the conceptual distinctions that emerged between the ‘economic’, the ‘religious’ and the ‘political’ to ask a series of questions: Where do we locate the ‘colonial’? At what moments does it come to be elaborated? Is it merely a result of ‘physical’ occupation by European powers, or could it have begun in another set of relations? Could the Ottoman empire and Qajar Iran be seen to become ‘colonial’ as the nineteenth century progressed?And what forms of resistance and revolution did this generate?  Each week, the module examines one of the central categories of political and economic history, unpacking the processes by which they have emerged, transformed, or come to be reconfigured.

As a compulsory module in our MA programme, Reconfiguring Global History is designed to foster conversations about the way we understand the past, present and future of the planet, across disciplinary and departmental borders. It introduces students to ongoing debates and encourages their participation in these discussions. It is meant to provide a collegial and stimulating environment for students to develop their own ideas and projects. Readings will explore current themes and debates on areas such as gender, sexuality and the body, urban history, history of emotion, racial capitalism, oceanic history, environmental and climate history, and histories of colonialism and empire.

This half course aims to examine the substantive bodies of law and procedure and the legal systems in operation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in modern times, in particular regard to their treatment of and interaction with gender, women's rights and normative claims and practices in society. Further context is given by consideration of the increasing reach of international legal instruments governing a broad spectrum of legal activities implicated in the study of gender, law and society.

This course aims to offer a critical appraisal of the role of International Law in the Israel-Palestine conflict. In the first part, we explore the international legal history of the conflict. In Part 2, we build the international legal architecture with a particular focus on the right of self-determination, statehood, and the law of occupation. In the third part we analyse the defunct Oslo peace process in the light of international legal norms especially in relation to settlements and refugees. We conclude by considering alternatives framings of the conflict and the recent turn to international courts. Throughout the course we will employ a reflective and critical approach to international law, exploring its benefits and constraints as a normative framework.

This module provides a detailed examination of Islamic family law, covering the laws of marriage, dissolution of marriages, guardianship and child custody. These are examined in light of classical rules of Islamic jurisprudence and recent family law reforms in different parts of the Muslim world and also with relevant examples from UK cases. Taking the different areas of family law in turn, we examine the development of positions in the different jurisprudential schools (including the sources on which the classical schools relied) before considering later (colonial and post colonial) treatment of and approaches to these areas of law in states' courts and codes. A focus on codification and the modern state's identity as legislator is highlighted. Approaches to reform of particular areas of law by different social actors are considered, including the use they make of classical and post-classical sources.

This module presents, from a comparative legal perspective, an overview of Islamic law in its theoretical, historical and jurisprudential evolution. Islamic legal theory (Usul al-Fiqh) is considered from a comparative perspective with a critical analysis of its history, development and application in contemporary jurisdictions. An overview of the historical and jurisprudential themes includes the relationship between sacred texts and human reason in the development of the law, dissent and consensus in the articulation of the law, law and morality and normative pluralism.

The module examines the substantive bodies of law and procedure and the legal systems in operation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in modern times, including in their relationship with regional and international normative systems.

This module critically explores the different theoretical perspectives of the relationship between Human Rights and Islamic law and examines the practices of some relevant Muslim-majority States in that regard.

This module critically explores the different theoretical perspectives of the relationship between Human Rights and Islamic law and examines the practices of some relevant Muslim-majority States in that regard. Following on from Part 1, this module focuses on substantive issues, States practices and application of the law.

This module offers training in practical translation from English into a number of languages offered by SOAS, including Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Persian, Turkish and Swahili. Students are expected to take one language strand, but may take two.

This module offers training in practical translation into English from a number of languages offered by SOAS including Arabic, Chinese, Persian, Turkish and Swahili. Students are expected to take one language strand, but may take two.

A central component of globalization is the mass movements of people and the consequent growth of a variety of communities and networks whose lives are played out across and beyond national borders. Media and communications are central to the lives and practices of such collectivities and take many different forms. Many diasporas have developed a range of media channels to bind members and maintain connection with the homeland. Religious communities are amongst the biggest transnational media players, for example in the development of Christian broadcasting channels or the multiplicity of sites for Koranic interpretation on the Net.

International Political Communication

The Jewish people have been on the move for as long as they’ve been called Jews. Key dates of expulsion define Jewish history - 586 BCE, 1492, post-1948 - but took place in regions that are today associated with Sephardi/Mizrahi Judaism. This class will consider the musical styles of the Jews of Arab lands through the experience of exile and diaspora. Focusing on the languages, rituals and musical styles that developed over centuries across the Arab world, we will examine how the experience of Jewish exile helped to shape Middle Eastern and North African soundworlds.

Morocco is unique in its religious, cultural and musical diversity. With a Jewish population that dates back over a thousand years, a Berber population that has its own languages, and former slaves who were brought from sub-Saharan Africa over centuries, Morocco’s official culture is a diverse array of ethnic minorities who are often invisible in other parts of the Middle East and North Africa. This module delves into the musical genres that make Morocco unique, from Andalusi to Gnawa, including contemporary Judeo-Arabic pop, hip hop post-Arab spring, and the religious practices of Jews and Muslims.

In this module, selections of Palestinian writings in different genres will be read and analysed as exemplars of literary responses to a situation of alienation and displacement, with particular focus on tradition and innovation, the construction and maintenance of identity, coping strategies and the evolving social function of literature in the context of the current conflict.

This module is based on the close reading of texts and their examination within their broader literary and historical context. ?As such it is a language use module whose objective is to make an intensive study of a selection of texts (prose and poetry) in literary Ottoman, from different periods and genres.

This module is primarily an advanced language use course (MA In Theory and Practice of Translation [Asia & Africa]), however, the study of the literary history of Iran and the development of Persian poetry complements the study of Persian culture and the cultural characteristics of the wider region of Near & Middle East and Asia (MA in Cultural Studies).

This is a Beginners course in Modern Standard Arabic.The main emphasis is on mastering the basic structures of Modern Standard Arabic as a means of communication, particularly in relation to journalism, with emphasis on reading, writing and listening.

This is a closely supervised Arabic into English translation project for students enrolled in the two-year MA (discipline or subject area) and Intensive Arabic that complements and reinforces the language skills the students are acquiring in the co-requisite course, Arabic 4 PG. Students will choose with the help of the supervisor one Arabic text of approximately 6000 words at the appropriate level and translate it into English, and one English text of approximately 6000 words at the appropriate level to translate into Arabic, utilising, honing, reinforcing and supplementing students' knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, registers and styles of the Arabic language, bringing these forward from passive learning into active use.

This is an Intermediate course in Modern Standard Arabic. The main emphasis is on mastering the basic structures of Modern Standard Arabic as a means of communication, particularly in relation to journalism, with emphasis on reading, writing and listening. News broadcasts are introduced, and language competence is developed through through extensive use of different resources and inclusion of different language registers.

The aim of the course is to provide an overview of the ways in which varying bodies of scholarship across and intra-various disciplines engage and study Palestine, and also an examination of how the study of Palestine cuts across and informs scholarly, theoretical, political and disciplinary approaches. The course addresses issues relating to the questions of conflict and political economy, development, cultural politics, social and economic relations, identity, and other major concerns of humanities and social sciences.

This module approaches Zionism analytically, and examines its changing meaning and praxis. We look at a wide selection of sources and secondary literature, by sympathisers, opponents and critics of Zionism. The class will look at the main debates regarding the Zionist movement, both historically and current.

The module covers several basic constructions of the language, enabling students to acquire basic skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking. Emphasis will be placed on good pronunciation and on the social and linguistic conventions of everyday conversation.

This module develops knowledge of several basic constructions of the language, enabling students to develop their skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking. Emphasis will be placed on good pronunciation and on the social and linguistic conventions of everyday conversation.

This is a basic introductory language acquisition module for absolute beginners in the written and spoken language; students are not assumed to have any previous knowledge of the language. The module covers several basic constructions of the language, enabling students to acquire basic skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking. Successful students will gain the ability to read and write short simple texts, and communicate on simple everyday topics.

This is a language acquisition module for students who have already studied the Language A equivalent in the previous term, or who have equivalent knowledge. Students are therefore assumed to have some basic knowledge of the language or its script. This module develops knowledge of several basic constructions of the language, enabling students to develop their skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking.

Hebrew.

This module develops knowledge of several basic constructions of the language, enabling students to develop their skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking. Successful students will gain the ability to read and write simple texts, and communicate on everyday topics.

This module provides a historical overview of the Israel-Palestine conflict, from late Ottoman Palestine, through the 1948 war and the establishment of Israel, to the Oslo accords. The module interrogates the historical dynamic in Palestine/Israel and its contestations through social and cultural history.

The course provides for the teaching and learning of lower-intermediate level Persian language with emphasis on practical written and spoken Persian. The course introduces complex sentence structures including relatives clauses, as well as more focused use of idiomatic structures in Persian writing and discourse. By the end of this module students should be able to describe experiences, events, plans, hopes and concerns in both spoken and written language with ease and confidence. Furthermore, they should be able to interact on topics of everyday work, leisure and travel.

The module provides for the teaching and learning of upper-intermediate level Persian language with emphasis on practical as well as nuianced written and spoken Persian. The course introduces complex sentence structures including conditional sentences, as well as more use of abstract or technical terminology in Persian writing and discourse. By the end of this module students should be able to relate detailed experiences, as well as discuss and understand concrete and abstract topics, in both spoken and written language with ease and confidence.

This is a basic language acquisition module for students who have already studied the language 1A equivalent in the previous term, or who have equivalent knowledge. Students are therefore assumed to have some basic knowledge of the language or its script. This module develops knowledge of some of the several basic constructions of the language, enabling students to develop their skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking.

This is a basic introductory language acquisition module for absolute beginners in the written and spoken language; students are not assumed to have any previous knowledge of the language or its script. The module covers several basic constructions of the language, enabling students to acquire basic skills in reading, writing, comprehension and speaking.

The course focuses on the transition from empire to republic, examining the key turning points and assessing the relevance of the events of the 1908-1945 period for understanding Modern Turkey.

This is a lower advanced language acquisition course that will reinforce competence in grammar and syntax, widen active vocabulary, and simultaneously develop listening and speaking skills.Letter writing skills will be introduced. Oral competence is developed in conversation classes and by using audio-video material.

This is a lower advanced language acquisition course that will reinforce competence in grammar and syntax, widen active vocabulary, and simultaneously develop listening and speaking skills.

This is an upper intermediate language acquisition module that builds on Arabic 3A, providing students with a firmer foundation in Arabic grammar, and training them in the active use of the language through writing exercises that draw on and reinforce a number of skills including knowledge of grammar, syntax, phraseology and general and specialised terminology. Writing skills will also be further built through targeted translation exercises. The module also includes an oral component where students are trained in speaking the colloquial register of the language.

This is an intermediate language acquisition module that builds on Arabic 1 and Arabic 2, providing students with a firmer foundation in Arabic grammar, and training students in the active use of the language through writing exercises that draw on and reinforce a number of skills including knowledge of grammar, syntax, phraseology and general and specialised terminology. Writing skills will also be further built through targeted translation exercises. The module also includes an oral component where students are trained in speaking the colloquial register of the language.

The module provides teaching and learning of advanced level Arabic language. It covers a wide variety of texts in topics such as literature, politics, religion, science, etc. Teaching will cover reading, analysing, writing, listening and speaking. There will be a series of special postgraduate lectures with associated seminars structured around the six themes of structure, texts, identity, society, translation and transformation (provided for PG students studying different languages). These will introduce students to general questions of the role of language in language-based scholarship and research, and will provide them with the critical and methodological skills to relate their language acquisition to the thematic aspects of the study.

This is a high advanced language acquisition course

Arabic 5 A (PG)

This is an advanced language acquisition course.

Arabic 2 B (PG)

This module completes the coverage of the grammar and syntax of Modern Standard Arabic at an intermediate level and trains students in reading, comprehending and writing with the help of a dictionary more complex Arabic sentences and passages.

The course provides students with intermediate knowledge of Turkish and practice of using Turkish in a variety of everyday and more specialised situations, including the understanding and expression of opinions and different points of view. Texts for study are selected from newspapers and magazines, scholarly articles and literary works (short stories and excerpts from novels).

The course provides teaching and learning of intermediate level Turkish language with emphasis on practical written and spoken Turkish. The course covers complex points of word and sentence structure as well as textual relations in Turkish writing and discourse.

The module will offer a survey of films from the Arab world, Turkey, Iran, and Israel, as well as an overview of the historical development of film in the region and a grounding in the socio-cultural contexts in which films have been produced. Films will be analysed aesthetically, with an awareness of multiple aspects of film technique, and meanings will be interrogated through a number of interdisciplinary and theoretical prisms.

This module develops oral, aural, writing and reading proficiency in Modern Hebrew, with equal attention to the colloquial and the formal. All aspects of Hebrew grammar and syntax are introduced, some at a basic level, and vocabulary is enriched and enhanced by the introduction of more complicated texts from different sources and on a variety of topics.

This module develops oral, aural, writing and reading proficiency in Modern Hebrew, with equal attention to the colloquial and the formal. All aspects of Hebrew grammar and syntax are introduced, some at a basic level, and vocabulary is enriched and enhanced by the introduction of more complicated texts from different sources and on a variety of topics.

The Qur’an serves not only as the foundational text of Islam, but also as the pre-eminent literary masterpiece of the Arabic language. With the aim of situating the text of the Qur’an within its historical and literary contexts, Part A of this module is aggregated around a percipient gauging of the discourses dominating the academic study of the Qur’an. Broaching the study of the text through a critical array of Arabic primary sources, the subjects and themes covered in the module include the Qur'an's language, structure, and composition; and thematic content.

Preserved in the form of individual reports and dicta, the literary material of the hadiths (Prophetic traditions) serves as one of the foundational textual sources of the Islam. The classical traditions of learning associated with the study of the hadith have a distinguished literary heritage, spanning across many centuries. This module examines the hadiths, reflecting upon their theoretical importance with the matrices of classical Islamic thought. Introducing the academic scholarship which has defined the study of traditions, the module gauges the significance of the classical forms of writing which developed around their collection and analysis as formulated by scholars.

The course comprises mainly the reading and discussion of a selection of printed texts in Ottoman. It also involves study of the principal orthographic, grammatical and stylistic features through comparison of style and usage in selected texts.

The course comprises mainly the reading and discussion of a selection of printed texts in Ottoman. It also involves study of the principal orthographic, grammatical and stylistic features through comparison of style and usage in selected texts.

In this module we will examine the major contemporary historical eras, and transformative developments in Iran's history, including the constitutional revolution and the 1979 revolution and social changes since the late 19th century. We will also analyse the political structures and institutions in Iran, exploring the evolution of its governance systems and the social dynamics of power within the country.

In this module we will examine the major social and cultural events, and transformative developments in Iran's contemporary history. We will also analyse Iranian literature, cultural heritage, and social developments, exploring the social dynamics of the Iranian nation. Through this module we will examine Iranian cinema, Iranian youth and women activism, social activism within digital space as well as sport and national identity. This module will allow us to critically evaluate the impact of social and cultural factors, including religion, ethnicity, gender, art, and civil society, on Iran's societal landscape.

The module examines the early modern and contemporary reformulations of Islamic thought and practices in response to modern challenges (19th, 20th & 21st centuries). The module will begin by examining the nature of these challenges, and how modern Muslims responded to them. The module will identify the similarities and differences between the premodern and modern reformist movements throughout Muslim-majority societies, and how Muslims have reformulated foundational dimensions of Islamic jurisprudence and theology in their efforts to adapted to modern developments. The module will also examine?the main features and characteristics of the prominent trends in contemporary Islamic thought (Islamist, Salafi, Progressive and Neo-Traditionalist), highlighting similarities and differences between them in relation to how they engage with the authoritative texts (Qur’an & hadiths), as well as the diversity of expressions within these trends. The module will identify how these diverse modern reformulations and trends are based on criticisms of classical developments in Islamic thought and practices, and how they attempt to ‘reform’ (i?la?) these using different methodologies. The module will also emphasise how these modern reformulations invoke the classical Islamic legacy of renewal (tajdid) in different ways resulting in different modern understandings of ‘Islam’. The module aims to develop a theoretical foundation for understanding these modern Islamic trends, and this foundation underpins the subsequent examination of expressions of these trends in relation to particular themes in the module convened in term two: Modern Trends in Islam (ii): Manifestations.

This term 2 module builds on and follows from the term 1 module: Modern Trends in Islam (i): Foundations (Modern Trends in Islam (i): Foundations is a pre-requisite for the Modern Trends in Islam (ii): Manifestations). It examines how the diversity of reformulations in Islamic thought and practices by the different modern trends (Islamist, Salafi, Progressive and Neo-Traditional) are expressed with reference to different themes that are significant for contemporary Muslims (and non-Muslims). Building on the theoretical framework examined in the term 1 module, this term 2 module will examine in significant detail how modern Muslims develop different methodologies and theories that give rise to different responses to contemporary challenges. It will also explore that diversity of views within the trends themselves (i.e. diversity of views and methodologies within Salafism). Each week there will be an examination of how the different trends reformulate Islamic thought and practices in relation to the theme in question, but there will also be further focus on how a specific trend develop these reformulations (for example, concerning the theme of gender relations there will be an examination of how the different trends like Salafism, Neo-traditionalism and Islamism develop reformulations in Islamic jurisprudence in the lecture, but there will be focus on how Progressives develop different methodologies in response to the challenge of patriarchy in the lecture and tutorial). Students will be able to examine in detailed and evaluate the different trends within the framework of specific themes (themes like gender relations, violence and terrorism, democracy and human rights). The module will also examine the significance of neo-theological reformulations beyond the jurisprudential ones.

This module is a seminar on ethnic violence. During the module, we will read classic and recent scholarly works that address various aspects of this question using different methods and approaches. In the first part, we will review the key debates on the concepts of ethnicity and identity, and discuss their implications for the study of ethnic violence. Then, we will shift our focus to theories of ethnic conflict and violence in order to understand examples from different parts of the world where conflict among different groups has resulted in varying degrees and types of violence. Throughout the course, we will have a strictly theoretical and empirical focus, and aim to answer the following questions: 1. How do ethnic identities become politically relevant? 2. What causes ethnic groups to engage in violent conflict? 3. Can explanations of ethnic violence help us understand non-ethnic forms of violence?

This module offers Masters students focusing on Middle East politics an opportunity to reflect critically upon ideas of counterhegemony and resistance as ways of understanding politics and political struggle in the Middle East. Much of the literature on politics in the Middle East foregrounds dominant structures of power, dominant ideologies, and varied forms of hegemony. Less studied are the ways in which variously situated groups and individuals throughout the region have tried to negotiate with, subvert, and resist these forms of hegemony, and the mixed outcomes of many of these struggles. The module will take certain general themes and illustrate them through specific case studies from different countries in the Middle East.

Since the age of European colonial rule in the Middle East came to an end around the Second World War, nominally independent nation-states in the region have tried to negotiate the opportunities and challenges of the Cold War, regional conflict and co-operation, underdevelopment, and more recently, globalisation. This module takes up the study of this rich politics through two different approaches, the first thematic, the second through the study of inter-state politics. After examining the methodological issues involved in the study of the Middle East and becoming familiar with the regions role during the Cold War and thereafter, we will examine important themes and debates in international politics of the Middle East, including war and militarism, ethnicity, development and globalisation, migration and ideological movements. In the latter part of the module, through a more conventional examination of inter-state politics of the Middle East, we will focus on conflict and cooperation between the Arab states in the region and their non-Arab neighbours, Israel, Iran and Turkey.

This module examines the relationship between the economy and power in the Middle East. We examine the class formations, expert knowledge, trade networks, raw materials, institutions, legal regimes and ideologies that come to produce “the economy” in the modern Middle East, and their relationship to the production of power in society, with special attention to state-society relations.

Is secularism Western? Is religious discourse the natural means of authentic, indigenous political mobilization and expression in the Middle East? This course explores how religious difference in the Middle East became a salient social and political marker in the modern era. It will also consider the various methods and frameworks that scholars have used to grapple with this manifestation of social difference.

This module will analyse the processes and dynamics of Soviet, post-Soviet and ongoing political, economic, social and cultural transformations in Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan) and South Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia). This module is designed to enable students to gain an in-depth understanding of the differential nature of Soviet modernization, imperial-colonial legacies, challenges of post-Soviet transition, complexities of nation and state building, the diverse understandings of Islam and its engagement with politics, the relationship between formal and informal institutions, and the durability of authoritarian regimes in the face of societal protests and resistance.

This module introduces students to the key concepts of geopolitics and their application to the region of Central Asia and Caucasus. It analyses the multiple and shifting understandings of the notion of 'Eurasia' and 'Eurasianism' across the region, the nature of Sino-Russian partnership which shapes the regional organisations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union, the effects of China's BRI on the entire region, and the efforts by the states in the region to develop multivectoral foreign policies. It will focus on themes such as empire and (de)coloniality, regional security and securitization policies, energy and transport infrastructure, authoritarian regionalism, labour migration and the anti-extremism measures enacted for regime survival. It is designed to enable students to develop a broad and in-depth understanding of the role and influence of two regional hegemons Russia and China, the major external actors Turkey, Iran, India as well as efforts by the Central Asian states to balance between these actors and the Western states.

The course begins by establishing the religion in a historical context starting with early Muslim migrations and settlement in Britain in the 19th century, through the various phases of subsequent migrations, to the institutionalising of Islam in Britain in the early twentieth century and the emergence of community leaders. Within this framework it will cover the different ethnic, sectarian and doctrinal approaches to Islam belonging to and/or adopted by migrants and second and third generation Muslims. The second part of the course will focus on particular issues that have arisen, uniquely, out of the above context and in response to world events.

Zoroastrianism, known of old as ‘the Persian religion’, is one of the world’s most ancient living religions and one of Iran’s great contributions to the history of religious thought. It is deeply rooted in the prehistoric Indo-Iranian and, ultimately, Indo-European tradition and thus shares a common heritage with the Vedic religion and Hinduism. In its long history it has been in contact with many other religions, notably Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. For over a thousand years it was the dominant religion of three great Iranian empires under the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian rulers, extending at times from the Indus river to the coastline and islands of Asia Minor.
This course offers both a survey of the teachings, history and religious practice of the Zoroastrian tradition and in-depth analysis of individual aspects. Topics that will be studied in greater detail include issues of the contemporary community in a historical perspective.
Teaching happens in the form of a one-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar. Students will be asked to analyse and critique reading material on a weekly basis. Topics of the seminars will include the role of orality in Zoroastrian studies, theoretical and methodological approaches to Zoroastrian studies, and the links between Zoroastrianism and migration and diaspora studies.

Zoroastrianism, known of old as ‘the Persian religion’, is one of the world’s most ancient living religions and one of Iran’s great contributions to the history of religious thought. It is deeply rooted in the prehistoric Indo-Iranian and, ultimately, Indo-European tradition and thus shares a common heritage with the Vedic religion and Hinduism. In its long history it has been in contact with many other religions, notably Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. For over a thousand years it was the dominant religion of three great Iranian empires under the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sasanian rulers, extending at times from the Indus river to the coastline and islands of Asia Minor.
This course offers both a survey of the teachings, history and religious practice of the Zoroastrian tradition and in-depth analysis of individual aspects. Topics that will be studied in greater detail include issues of the contemporary community in a historical perspective.
Teaching happens in the form of a one-hour lecture and a one-hour seminar. Students will be asked to analyse and critique reading material on a weekly basis. Topics of the seminars will include the role of orality in Zoroastrian studies, theoretical and methodological approaches to Zoroastrian studies, and the links between Zoroastrianism and migration and diaspora studies.