The objective of this course is to provide a basis for understanding historical processes (both global and local) which have shaped the Middle East and North Africa in the modern period (18^th-20^th century) Focusing on the transformation of state and society under the impact of a changing world economy and European imperialism, this course has four interrelated themes:

1. The transformation of multi-ethnic world empires to nation-states in the 20^th century
2. The changing relationship of the Middle East to Europe and later, the United States.
3. The rise of new social and political movements and the new sorts of identities, social categories and notions of person-hood they were based upon.
4. The interconnectedness of local, regional and global histories

We will use visual sources (photos, propaganda posters and films), audio sources (interviews, old newsreels and music ) as well as textual sources (including official documents, memoirs and magazine and newspaper articles), paying particular attention to the rich and diverse voices and experiences of those from the region.