I'm in an introductory history course about modern Middle East history (from 1500 CE onwards...it's a rather broad definition of "modern") and we'll be writing term papers about a topic of our choosing. My main approach will probably be historiography (writing about historical sources, comparing how various people have written about a particular topic or event).
Anyway, I can't decide on what a good/interesting paper topic would be. I'll be talking to the professor about it tomorrow, but in the meantime I thought I'd solicit some opinions from Escapists. So...what's cool in Middle East history?
Edit: poll options not working, so...
1: Devshirme (recruitment of non-Muslim child slaves to become Janissaries/government officials)
2: Recruitment and living conditions of harem women (perspectives of Western and Ottoman sources)
3: Scientific/technological development in the Ottoman "golden age"
4: Women in science in pre-revolutionary Iran
5: The "Arab Spring" (comparing Western and Middle Eastern reports and analyses)
6: Other (reply!)
Anyway, I can't decide on what a good/interesting paper topic would be. I'll be talking to the professor about it tomorrow, but in the meantime I thought I'd solicit some opinions from Escapists. So...what's cool in Middle East history?
Edit: poll options not working, so...
1: Devshirme (recruitment of non-Muslim child slaves to become Janissaries/government officials)
2: Recruitment and living conditions of harem women (perspectives of Western and Ottoman sources)
3: Scientific/technological development in the Ottoman "golden age"
4: Women in science in pre-revolutionary Iran
5: The "Arab Spring" (comparing Western and Middle Eastern reports and analyses)
6: Other (reply!)