In 1,500 words (about 4-5 pages), answer ONE of the two following questions, using two or more of the articles provided below:
(1) Which word best describes the relationship between Muslim authorities and non-Muslims in Umayyad times? Make sure you identify the word you think best characterizes this relationship, and explain why you picked it rather than any other word.
[Look in particular at Donner, al-Qadi and/or Sahhas]
OR
(2) To what extent did the Umayyad Empire engage in long-distance trade with other regions?
[Look in particular at Bonner, Bessard, George and/or Taragan]
Your paper should be approximately 1,500 words in length.
Use at least two of the articles in the folder below
You can use more than two articles, as well as the textbook, but do NOT use other sources (especially not web pages you can find by searching Google), nor ChatGPT or other AI engines.
Make sure you include a footnote whenever you take information from the articles, to tell us where (including which page) you found the information). The bibliographical information you need should appear on the first page of the article.
The format of the footnotes should follow the guidelines (either for “Journal article” or “Chapter or other part of an edited book”) on this page:
Your essay should include a clear thesis statement, an introduction, a conclusion and a visible, logical structure. You can find an example (“Sample exam essay”) under “Other course documents” on the left [the only difference is that in the research paper, unlike an exam, you must include footnotes].
Submit your essay by uploading it using the link at the bottom of this page, in PDF or Word format (do NOT use any other format).
The upload link will disappear at the submission deadline, which is Friday, September 22 @5PM. After that time, you will need to email me your essay, and will be subject to a late penalty.
Let me know if you have any question!