Modern Jordan has chartered a relatively peaceful path through the minefield that has been the Middle East in the 20th and 21st centuries. It has been central to Ottoman rule, the events and outcomes of the First World War and the Arab-Israeli conflict since 1948. But before the Ottomans, Jordan was an integral part of Greek, Roman, Islamic and Crusader regimes. Observing Jordan is a mini-study of the whole of the Middle East. This course traces the history of Jordan from its ancient past to the creation of the modern state in 1922 and its involvement in the Palestinian issue since then.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)

COURSE OUTLINE

• Ancient and Medieval Jordan. Who are the Jordanians? What is their cultural and ethnic background? How was it influenced by major powers over the centuries?
• The First World War and the creation of modern Jordan (Transjordan) by the British and French
• Jordan and her Arab and Israeli neighbours. The Arab-Israeli wars
• Jordan in the 21st century. What is Jordan’s role in the region and what is her future?

SUGGESTED READING

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Understand the various regimes that have led to the makeup of the Near East (Levant), including Jordan
2. Explore how Jordan was created out of the machinations of the First World War and the peace talks
3. Appreciate the role that Jordan played in the 3 Arab-Israeli Wars of 1948, 1967 and 1973 and how she changed direction as a result
4. Trace Jordan’s path through the political minefield that surrounds her and how she might navigate the future