BA (Hons) History Bachelor's degree at SOAS University of London

This introductory module surveys the entire sweep of Africa's history, north and south of the Sahara, from the emergence of civilizations to the present day. Themes covered include Ancient Egypt and Nubia, Christianity and Islam in Africa, state and society in Sudanic and in Bantu-speaking Africa, slavery and the slave trades, colonisation and the postcolonial period.

This module introduces students to the history of the part of the world that was profoundly influenced by the Chinese cultural sphere through a gendered lens. Chronologically, it covers the periods of early state formation and the rise of the first unified empires, the centuries of political and religious plurality of the first centuries of the common era, and the heyday of Chinese civilization following the 'reunification' in the Sui/Tang and the social and economic transformations of the Song

This module is an introduction to the history of the late medieval, early modern and modern era Middle East. It begins roughly around the time when Islamic empires became the dominant powers in the region and explores thenceforth the political, social, and cultural developments up to the present. While the module is structured around events that are primarily of military and political nature, it gives ample importance to the broad social and cultural currents, as well as the circumstances of eve

South Asia (comprising of present-day India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives) has a history stretching back millennia. This module introduces the historical processes that shaped the society, culture, economy and political landscapes of the subcontinent over this long period. We begin with the Harappan or Indus Valley civilization and conclude with the English East India Company's conquest of Bengal, a moment that marks the beginning of the colonial period. Studen

This module explores the variety of approaches to history through the ages, from positivist histories of the nation state and the study of changing economies and societies, to postcolonial and subaltern histories, it introduces the wide range of sources through which we study the past, including both secondary accounts produced by historians and the primary sources on which they rely.

This module supports students with their transition to Higher Education. It delves into the study of Humanities, with a focus on questions concerning the colonial genealogy of Humanities and the ways of decolonising Humanities, and skills acquired in the various disciplines in the college. Students learn to identify and describe the skills they acquire in this module and during their studies in the Humanities. Students are introduced to research, reading, listening, writing, performance and comm

As it was a century ago, Southeast Asia as a region continues to be one of the hotspots of great power rivalries. Much of the world's trade runs through the region, it is on the fringe of the Chinese economic power-house, and is a major focus of the US pivot back to Asia. As a result, longer term historical developments and shorter term regional developments have important implications for the balance of world power. Even so, these developments remain poorly understood by world policymakers. Thi

What role do the internet and its associated tools and devices play in facilitating movements for social justice? This first-year module will use examples of prominent digital-driven campaigns and causes from all over the world, from geopolitical conflicts to environmental movements to indigenous and decolonial rights campaigns - to examine the role of digital communications tools and platforms in bottom up democratic movements, and the challenges associated with these approaches. Do technologie

H102 World History - Global Connectivities explores the history of globalization from the perspective of interregional processes. It conceives the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the Americas and the Vasco da Gama first ever recorded circumnavigation around the globe as just one step of the way, not as the starting point of globalization. We proceed chronologically from the Bantu expansion in Africa to the twenty-first century. But we also compare the processes of connectivity from different

Based around the three broad themes of Religion, Trade and Empire, this module examines a series of individual objects in context from across Asia and Africa to explore the role of material and visual culture in understanding the history of global connectivity. Each case-study will demonstrate the transmission of ideas, motifs, materials, objects and people within Asia and Africa and in interaction with Europe, over around 1500 years from the 2nd-3rd to the 18th centuries CE.

This module introduces students to the methods and approaches to historical research. We survey the ways in which historians have approached the past -- from event-driven narratives, through the structural analysis of economy, society, and culture, to contemporary debates about postmodernism, postcolonialism, and presentism.

What are the ethics of doing historical research? More widely associated with STEM subjects, research ethics are also of profound importance for historical research as this module explores. We discuss and work through the different ethical dimensions of research through a focus on the history of the institution in which we work. SOAS was founded in 1916 as the School of Oriental Studies to train British colonial civil servants. A century later it has become synonymous with the critique of imperi

How do you identify a topic of interest and how do you ask historical questions about it? How do you find out how this topic has been studied so far and what is known about it? How can you evaluate the arguments that have been made on the basis of this knowledge? Establishing what 'the state of the field' is and understanding how controversial debates about particular issues developed and why, is important before you begin designing your own project. The aim of this module it to bring you one st