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Module Catalogue

HI2B8-15 Caravans and Traders: Global Connections, 1200-1500

Department
History
Level
Undergraduate Level 2
Module leader
Luca Mola
Credit value
15
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

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Introductory description

This module follows the circulation of people, knowledge, religion, and goods in the late medieval world, and compares regions from the Mediterranean and Islamic world to India and China.

Module web page

Module aims

This module introduces students to the history of global interactions between different parts of the world through a focus on early connections in the period 1200-1500. The module will be set within the theoretical framework of global history. Topics include diasporas, material culture, the Mongol and Timurid empires, the silk roads, global cities, and medieval travellers.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

  1. Global Connections and the thirteenth-century world
  2. Central Asia and the Silk Roads
  3. Maritime explorations: Zheng He and the Arab seafarers
  4. Travel and Travellers: Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and Zhou Daguan
  5. Religious connections and the spread of Islam
  6. Reading week
  7. Cities and migrating communities
  8. Science and technology: China and the Islamic World
  9. Empires: Mongols, Timurids and Mali
  10. Global connections and the sixteenth-century world

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of non-European histories, and their connections with and impact on medieval and early modern European history.
  • Communicate ideas and findings, adapting to a range of situations, audiences and degrees of complexity.
  • Generate ideas through the analysis of a broad range of primary source material, including visual, material and textual sources.
  • Analyse and evaluate the contributions made by existing scholarship, including key concepts in global history.
  • Act with limited supervision and direction within defined guidelines, accepting responsibility for achieving deadlines.

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Specific reading list for the module

Subject specific skills

See learning outcomes.

Transferable skills

See learning outcomes.

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%)
Seminars 9 sessions of 1 hour (6%)
Tutorials 2 sessions of 1 hour (1%)
Private study 130 hours (87%)
Total 150 hours

Private study description

History modules require students to undertake extensive independent research and reading to prepare for seminars and assessments. As a rough guide, students will be expected to read and prepare to comment on three substantial texts (articles or book chapters) for each seminar taking approximately 3 hours. Each assessment requires independent research, reading around 6-10 texts and writing and presenting the outcomes of this preparation in an essay, review, presentation or other related task.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A2
Weighting Study time Eligible for self-certification
Assessment component
Seminar contribution 10% No
Reassessment component
1000 word reflection Yes (extension)
Assessment component
1500 word book review 40% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Assessment component
3000 word essay 50% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Feedback on assessment

Written feedback provided via Tabula; optional oral feedback in office hours.

Courses

This module is Optional for:

  • Year 2 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History

This module is Option list A for:

  • Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
  • Year 2 of UHIA-V1V5 Undergraduate History and Philosophy
  • Year 2 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics
  • Year 2 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology

This module is Option list B for:

  • Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
  • Year 2 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics

This module is Option list C for:

  • Year 2 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
  • Year 2 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology