HIST 169The Indian Ocean World

3 credits · History · Penn State

The Indian Ocean has been a zone of human interaction for several millennia facilitating the circulation of individuals, ideas, commodities and technologies from the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf regions to as far as Southeast Asia. This course introduces students to the growing historical field of the Indian Ocean world and to the usefulness of studying oceans as a useful category of historical analysis. It will examine the dynamism of the Indian Ocean world by exploring themes like trade, migration, slavery, piracy, European expansion, and various kinds of cultural exchange across this vast body of water. The course will also introduce students to a variety of primary sources including travel narratives, personal accounts and diplomatic correspondences.