This course explores the historical, political, social and cultural aspects of the evolution of Islam in Central Asia from the 8th century CE to the present. It investigates the reasons and mechanisms of Islam's expansion in the region as well as its dynamic interactions with local religious traditions and ways of life. Rather than reducing Islam to a homogenous, static, and dogmatic creed, the course analyses diverse Muslim identities and practices across time and space, and how different communities of believers have adapted Islam's common patterns and denominators to survive in the frequently challenging environment.
The course applies historical, anthropological, and political science perspectives to provide insights into Islam's common framework, and the complexity and fluidity of Central Asian religious identities within this framework. By the end of the semester, students should be able to appreciate how sixty million Muslims in Central Asia follow their faith in terms of ritual, intellectual discourse, politics, and daily life.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Students will acquire expertise in the doctrines, rituals, customs, and artistic representations of diverse Muslim communities in Central Asia. They will be able to discern common patterns and localised varities within the political, social, and legal framework of Islam. Ideally, they would develop a critical and nuanced view of religion at loggerheads with the Orientalist and essentialist portrayal of Islam as a homogenous, stagnant, and universally threatening enttiy.
The course strives to enhance students' general writing and analytical ability.
Indicative Assessment
5000 word essay (60%) and 3-hour exam (40%)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from: a) 24 hours of seminars; and b) 106 hours of online activities, practice exercises, readings and assessment.Requisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
Lyudmila Polonskaya and Alexei Malashenko, Islam in Central Asia. Reading: Ithaca Press, 1994.
Maria Elisabeth Louw, Everyday Islam in post-Soviet Central Asia. London; New York: Routledge, 2007.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $3180 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2018 | $4860 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4184 | 19 Feb 2018 | 27 Feb 2018 | 31 Mar 2018 | 25 May 2018 | In Person | N/A |
