MA Islamic Humanities and Intensive Language (Chinese)

This module is a core component of the two-year programmes with Intensive Language (Chinese). Classes are taught in Chinese by academic staff at a university in China over a period of six weeks during the summer (July/August). Assessment is conducted at SOAS upon return. The intensive classroom environment and immersion experience of living and studying in China is designed to facilitate the student’s ability to build fluency within the appropriate daily social and cultural contexts.

The module is designed for the MA Intensive Language (Chinese) students who have no or limited knowledge of the Chinese language. It is an integrated beginners’ module aimed at introducing modern Chinese to students who require intensive language training and aims at developing basic speaking, listening, reading, writing, and translation skills at CEFR A2 level.

This module is designed for students who have completed Intensive Elementary Chinese A (PG). The module continues to introduce more Chinese language features and aims at developing further skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and translation at CEFR A2/B1 level.

The aim of this module is twofold: to provide an understanding of some of the knowledge systems, institutions and cultural forces that have shaped the Islamic world, past and present, and to engage critically with contemporary humanities approaches in the study of Islam and the Islamic world. Focusing on key themes and debates in recent scholarship, the module will probe each through a selection of primary sources in translation and secondary sources.
We will take a decolonial perspective and assess some of the underpinning epistemologies and narratives of approaches in the study of religion, history and culture to Islam and the Islamic world. We will explore the development of Western knowledge about Islam and the Islamic world. The module also examines some of the disciplines and forms of expression of the Islamic world that would be classed nowadays among the humanities.

This module examines histories of Islamic art from the perspective of cultural contacts with Europe, exploring the ways in which Islamic artefacts were acquired, appreciated, utilized and imitated, and placing them also within the wider framework of the developing European intellectual awareness of Islam.

This module studies the social construction of vision in the premodern urban Islamic world, with particular reference to North Africa. Attention is paid to 1) the sociological factors that influence vision and help determine what is visible and invisible for any given region of this world; and 2) the elements of the built environment that reinforce and index aspects of this socialised vision. The module's goals are two. First, to raise the question of visuality in Islamic art history, and then to work towards defining premodern urban Islamic visuality, with particular reference to the medinas of North Africa. Second, to highlight 1) the modern visual subculture, or 'scopic regime' undergirding certain key aspects of contemporary art historical practice; and 2) the importance of attending to the visual logic of the society whose material culture is under analysis.

This course discusses emerging identities and contending views in the origins and early history of Islam, 600 and 1000 CE. The approach is historical, and examines the crucial question of how different types of Islam emergened.

This module studies the historical foundations of colonialism and revolution in the Middle East. It does not begin with a preconceived conception of the ‘colonial’ but examines a series of spatial and temporal transformations through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the region. It explores the conceptual distinctions that emerged between the ‘economic’, the ‘religious’ and the ‘political’ to ask a series of questions: Where do we locate the ‘colonial’? At what moments does it come to be elaborated? Is it merely a result of ‘physical’ occupation by European powers, or could it have begun in another set of relations? Could the Ottoman empire and Qajar Iran be seen to become ‘colonial’ as the nineteenth century progressed?And what forms of resistance and revolution did this generate?  Each week, the module examines one of the central categories of political and economic history, unpacking the processes by which they have emerged, transformed, or come to be reconfigured.

This module presents, from a comparative legal perspective, an overview of Islamic law in its theoretical, historical and jurisprudential evolution. Islamic legal theory (Usul al-Fiqh) is considered from a comparative perspective with a critical analysis of its history, development and application in contemporary jurisdictions. An overview of the historical and jurisprudential themes includes the relationship between sacred texts and human reason in the development of the law, dissent and consensus in the articulation of the law, law and morality and normative pluralism.

The course begins by establishing the religion in a historical context starting with early Muslim migrations and settlement in Britain in the 19th century, through the various phases of subsequent migrations, to the institutionalising of Islam in Britain in the early twentieth century and the emergence of community leaders. Within this framework it will cover the different ethnic, sectarian and doctrinal approaches to Islam belonging to and/or adopted by migrants and second and third generation Muslims. The second part of the course will focus on particular issues that have arisen, uniquely, out of the above context and in response to world events.

This module examines the major traditions of rationalism that shaped Islamic thought from the tenth to the thirteenth century and continued to inform subsequent intellectual activity into the modern period, with especial focus on the philosophical and theological traditions, aspects of legal theory and cross-disciplinary dynamics. Motivating historical and analytical approaches through the bi-disciplinary lens of the history of philosophy and intellectual history, the module firstly provides a critical understanding of the epistemological and systemic architecture of these traditions combined with a deep dive into selected topics. It secondly investigates external contexts that shaped intellectual production, such as socio-political landscapes, authority structures, networks, institutions and intellectual canons. Throughout the module, we engage closely with the historiography of Islamic thought, critically assessing the approaches, narratives, trends and debates that have driven the field since the late nineteenth century to the present day.

The dissertation is intended both to extend and consolidate the student’s theoretical and regional understanding applied to prominent themes and debates in the study of Islam and the Islamic world. Students will be assigned dissertation supervisors early in the academic year with whom the dissertation topics will be agreed. They will meet regularly with their supervisors to produce a systematic review of the secondary and regional literature which forms a core, if preliminary, aspect of their dissertation. The dissertation should demonstrate a critical understanding of the relevant literature, develop a focused and clear argument, supported by the relevant use of theoretical material and evidence. It should include: a review of the relevant theoretical and empirical literature; an outline of the specific questions to be addressed, methods to be employed, and the expected contribution of the study to debates in the field; an informed and comprehensive assessment of published surveys, data sets or other tabulated material that relate directly to their research interest; a discussion of the practical, political and ethical issues likely to

This module is for students who have successfully completed Chinese 2B or equivalent to progress in the learning of Chinese. It will introduce more vocabulary, grammar points, and sentence structures at higher elementary level. At the end of the semester, successful students are expected to be able to read and write short texts, communicate on everyday topics; and function at Lower B1 of CEFR or Lower Band 5 of HSK.

This module is for students who have successfully completed Chinese 3A or equivalent to progress in the learning of Chinese. It will introduce more vocabulary, grammar points, sentence structures and linking words at lower intermediate level. At the end of the semester, successful students are expected to be able to read and write short texts, communicate on familiar topics; and function at B1 of CEFR or Band 5 of HSK.

This module is for students who have successfully completed Chinese 3B or equivalent to progress in the learning of Chinese. It will consolidate grammar points, sentence structures and linking words at lower intermediate level and enable students to progress to intermediate level. At the end of the semester, successful students are expected to be able to read and write short texts, communicate on familiar topics; and function at Lower B2 of CEFR or Lower Band 6 of HSK.

This module is for students who have successfully completed Chinese 4A or equivalent. It will introduce more vocabulary, set expressions and linking words enabling students to progress in reading, writing and speaking from lower intermediate level to intermediate level.  Upon successful completion of this module, students are expected to be able to read and write texts on a wide range of subjects; interact with native speakers on familiar topics with a degree of fluency and function at B2 of CEFR or Band 6 of HSK.

This module examines histories of Islamic art from the perspective of cultural contacts with Europe, exploring the ways in which Islamic artefacts were acquired, appreciated, utilized and imitated, and placing them also within the wider framework of the developing European intellectual awareness of Islam.

This module studies the social construction of vision in the premodern urban Islamic world, with particular reference to North Africa. Attention is paid to 1) the sociological factors that influence vision and help determine what is visible and invisible for any given region of this world; and 2) the elements of the built environment that reinforce and index aspects of this socialised vision. The module's goals are two. First, to raise the question of visuality in Islamic art history, and then to work towards defining premodern urban Islamic visuality, with particular reference to the medinas of North Africa. Second, to highlight 1) the modern visual subculture, or 'scopic regime' undergirding certain key aspects of contemporary art historical practice; and 2) the importance of attending to the visual logic of the society whose material culture is under analysis.

This course discusses emerging identities and contending views in the origins and early history of Islam, 600 and 1000 CE. The approach is historical, and examines the crucial question of how different types of Islam emergened.

This module studies the historical foundations of colonialism and revolution in the Middle East. It does not begin with a preconceived conception of the ‘colonial’ but examines a series of spatial and temporal transformations through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the region. It explores the conceptual distinctions that emerged between the ‘economic’, the ‘religious’ and the ‘political’ to ask a series of questions: Where do we locate the ‘colonial’? At what moments does it come to be elaborated? Is it merely a result of ‘physical’ occupation by European powers, or could it have begun in another set of relations? Could the Ottoman empire and Qajar Iran be seen to become ‘colonial’ as the nineteenth century progressed?And what forms of resistance and revolution did this generate?  Each week, the module examines one of the central categories of political and economic history, unpacking the processes by which they have emerged, transformed, or come to be reconfigured.

This module presents, from a comparative legal perspective, an overview of Islamic law in its theoretical, historical and jurisprudential evolution. Islamic legal theory (Usul al-Fiqh) is considered from a comparative perspective with a critical analysis of its history, development and application in contemporary jurisdictions. An overview of the historical and jurisprudential themes includes the relationship between sacred texts and human reason in the development of the law, dissent and consensus in the articulation of the law, law and morality and normative pluralism.

The course begins by establishing the religion in a historical context starting with early Muslim migrations and settlement in Britain in the 19th century, through the various phases of subsequent migrations, to the institutionalising of Islam in Britain in the early twentieth century and the emergence of community leaders. Within this framework it will cover the different ethnic, sectarian and doctrinal approaches to Islam belonging to and/or adopted by migrants and second and third generation Muslims. The second part of the course will focus on particular issues that have arisen, uniquely, out of the above context and in response to world events.

This module examines the major traditions of rationalism that shaped Islamic thought from the tenth to the thirteenth century and continued to inform subsequent intellectual activity into the modern period, with especial focus on the philosophical and theological traditions, aspects of legal theory and cross-disciplinary dynamics. Motivating historical and analytical approaches through the bi-disciplinary lens of the history of philosophy and intellectual history, the module firstly provides a critical understanding of the epistemological and systemic architecture of these traditions combined with a deep dive into selected topics. It secondly investigates external contexts that shaped intellectual production, such as socio-political landscapes, authority structures, networks, institutions and intellectual canons. Throughout the module, we engage closely with the historiography of Islamic thought, critically assessing the approaches, narratives, trends and debates that have driven the field since the late nineteenth century to the present day.

This module is designed to introduce the material culture (art, architecture, numismatics, and so-called 'minor arts') of the different peoples and polities of medieval and early modern Anatolia in the Seljuk, Beylik, and early Ottoman periods. Students will learn to analyse the totality of material cultural production and how it changed as the result of economic, social, and historical forces. They will learn to analyse the artistic interplay between Islamic and Christian societies, as well as the artistic manifestations of such subjects as mysticism, chivalry, and Eurasian steppe traditions

This module brings a nuanced approach to understanding conflict between communities, often defined by religion, sect, or caste. Political leaders and media channels promote simplistic narratives of such conflict, suggesting it is inherent to South Asian society. This perspective ignores the complexity of South Asia where communities are at times clearly defined, at others overlapping and blurred, sometimes in conflict, but more often in coexistence. The module explores components of group identity including religion and sect, language and place, images of self and other, religious conversion, and the ways that coercion and violence existed alongside accommodation and cooperation. Special attention will be given to caste, devotionalism, interreligious contacts, and the tension between the local and the cosmopolitan. The module is thematically organised and examines case studies beginning with Mahmud of Ghazni through the medieval and early modern periods into the twentieth century.

This postgraduate module examines the various international and domestic factors that led to and fed the wars in Afghanistan (and standoff between the US and Iran) since 1979.

This module provides a detailed examination of Islamic family law, covering the laws of marriage, dissolution of marriages, guardianship and child custody. These are examined in light of classical rules of Islamic jurisprudence and recent family law reforms in different parts of the Muslim world and also with relevant examples from UK cases. Taking the different areas of family law in turn, we examine the development of positions in the different jurisprudential schools (including the sources on which the classical schools relied) before considering later (colonial and post colonial) treatment of and approaches to these areas of law in states' courts and codes. A focus on codification and the modern state's identity as legislator is highlighted. Approaches to reform of particular areas of law by different social actors are considered, including the use they make of classical and post-classical sources.

This module is primarily an advanced language use course (MA In Theory and Practice of Translation [Asia & Africa]), however, the study of the literary history of Iran and the development of Persian poetry complements the study of Persian culture and the cultural characteristics of the wider region of Near & Middle East and Asia (MA in Cultural Studies).

The aim of the course is to provide an overview of the ways in which varying bodies of scholarship across and intra-various disciplines engage and study Palestine, and also an examination of how the study of Palestine cuts across and informs scholarly, theoretical, political and disciplinary approaches. The course addresses issues relating to the questions of conflict and political economy, development, cultural politics, social and economic relations, identity, and other major concerns of humanities and social sciences.

The course focuses on the transition from empire to republic, examining the key turning points and assessing the relevance of the events of the 1908-1945 period for understanding Modern Turkey.

The module will offer a survey of films from the Arab world, Turkey, Iran, and Israel, as well as an overview of the historical development of film in the region and a grounding in the socio-cultural contexts in which films have been produced. Films will be analysed aesthetically, with an awareness of multiple aspects of film technique, and meanings will be interrogated through a number of interdisciplinary and theoretical prisms.

This is an intermediate language acquisition module that complements Arabic 3 A and B, and/or Arabic 4 A and B, by familiarising students with genres and styles of Arabic writing through reading authentic classical Arabic biography, history and travel.

This module addresses the issue of violence in the context of religious studies. It takes a multiperspectival approach studying insider and outsider perspectives on religious violence accross cultures and historical periods.
The module will provide insights into the complexity of violence, considering besides physical violence also violence in speech and intentions. It views violence as playing a key role in the development of belief systems, as wel as in the relationship between religions and the secular world. The module will introduce students to core concepts in the study of religion such as sacrifice, asceticism, purity and impurity, and blasphemy, and delve into ethical issues such as religious suicide, the question of just war, free speech and hierarchies of life within religious contexts. These topics have a long history in global societies and remain relevant today as religious opposition is emerging more clearly in connection with political processes in, for example, South Asia, the Middle East and the West.
The purpose of this module is to provide students with a sound and critical understanding of the relationship between religion and violence that does not necessarily consider religion as a cause of violence, but that also includes how religious epistemologies seek to limit, avoid and lessen violent practices. 

From the 19th century onwards, during the height of European colonialism, many religious expressions around the world began to be labelled as esoteric." This module examines the theoretical and methodological challenges that define the academic study of esotericism within the context of modernity. By engaging with empirical cases from the Global South, it situates esotericism within global history, moving beyond Western interpretive frameworks and recognising distributed agency and multiple ontologies."