In 1258, the Mongols sacked Baghdad -- the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and symbolic center of Islamic civilization at the time. Paradoxically, this destructive act ushered in the period when Islam saw its greatest expansion. This course explores the period of relative stability that characterized Eurasia in the aftermath of the otherwise incredibly violent Mongol conquests, a period referred to as the 'Pax Mongolica' or 'Mongol Peace.' This peace fostered the unprecedented exchange of ideas, goods, and scholars across Eurasia -- not to mention conversions to Islam -- while laying the groundwork for the emergence of great empires like the Ottomans, Safavids, and Mughals. In addition to these chronological developments, we will examine the flow of knowledge, technology, and cultural practices through major trade routes and scholarly networks -- focusing on the enduring legacy of this period -- and learn how the Mongol legacy impacted Islam's spread beyond its origins in Arabia. |