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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2010/2011
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures : Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies

Undergraduate Course: Early Arabic Historical Texts (IMES10047)

Course Outline
School School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures College College of Humanities and Social Science
Course type Standard Availability Available to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken) SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits 20
Home subject area Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies Other subject area None
Course website None Taught in Gaelic? No
Course description How and why the early Muslims remembered the past and how this historical record is used by modern historians will be examined through a close reading of some of late 9th-century,early 10th-century historical texts in classical Arabic. (E.g. parts of one or more of Khalifa b. Khayyat al-Usfuri's Ta'rikh, al-Baladhuri's Ansab al-Ashraf, al-Ya'qubi's Ta'rikh, al-Dinawari's al-Akhbar al-tiwal and other similar texts.) Passages in Arabic will be read and translated together in class. Some secondary literature in English will also be set reading. This material will form the basis for discussion both of the uses to which the early Muslims put the memory of the past. and the uses to which modern historians have put these sources.
Entry Requirements
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Additional Costs n/a
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites See course organiser to check level of Arabic language ability
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Not available to visiting students (SS1) WebCT enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Location Activity Description Weeks Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
CentralSeminar1-11 16:10 - 18:00
CentralSeminar1-11 16:10 - 18:00
First Class Week 1, Monday, 16:10 - 18:00, Zone: Central. Room G/22, ground floor, 19 George Square
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours:Minutes Stationery Requirements Comments
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)3:002 x 16 sides
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should:
1. Be familiar with all aspects of some of the most important early Arabic historical texts.
2. Be able to understand and translate into English extracts from these and similar texts.
3. Have an understanding of the development of historical writing in Arabic.
4. Be familiar with the main secondary literature in English on early Arabic historical writing.
5. Have an understanding of current debates about early Arabic historiography.

Assessment Information
1 x 2500 word translation and commentary OR 1 x 2500 word essay (30%)
Short tutorial assignments (10%)
1 x 3 hour exam (60%)

Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus Not entered
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Not entered
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Not entered
Keywords Not entered
Contacts
Course organiser Dr Andrew Marsham
Tel: (0131 6)50 9872
Email: andrew.marsham@ed.ac.uk
Course secretary Ms Rhona Cullen
Tel: (0131 6)50 4182
Email: Rhona.Cullen@ed.ac.uk
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copyright 2011 The University of Edinburgh - 31 January 2011 7:50 am