Poll: Topics in Middle East History

quantum mechanic

New member
Jul 8, 2009
407
0
0
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!)
 

AlphaEcho

New member
Jun 16, 2010
228
0
0
How the fuck they got so messed up after inventing tons of shit.

AKA, Crusades + Mongol's = FUN!
 

emeraldrafael

New member
Jul 17, 2010
8,589
0
0
quantum mechanic said:
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?
your pool isnt working. if they were topic ideas, maybe just list them.

OT: Write about how the US helped to fund.. well,w ait, no thats southeast asia and some people get really pissy about where pakistan is.

Maybe write about their rise to economic power through oil sales.
 

BristolBerserker

New member
Aug 3, 2011
327
0
0
Janissaries, the Ottomans elite troops, or the Ottoman empire's wars with Europe. Then you could write about Vlad the Impaler.
 

Phlakes

Elite Member
Mar 25, 2010
4,282
0
41
I definitely read that as Middle Earth and got all excited. Nevermind then.