LECTURE 1:

INTRODUCTION
COURSE BREAKDOWN
Component Percentage Description
Final Exam 30% Short essay type questions
Midterm Exam 20% Short essay type questions
Quizzes 15% 3 announced quizzes

Assignment & Presentation 30% 15% each

(Group Project)
Class Participation
Group Project
Assignment pre-mid
Presentation post-mid
5% Not just speaking out loud but being engaged
during the lectures
GROUP PROJECT
• 10 groups of 5 people each – to be finalized by the end of
week 2
• Assignment (week 6)
- Choose the topic and narrow it down
- Describe your motivation
- Define what needs to be critically examined
- 1000 to 1500 words

• Presentation (week 15)

- 10 mins for each group
- Present the critical analysis
EXAMPLE
• Broad Topic – General Elections of 2013
• Narrow Down – Impact on the investment scenario
- Involvement of youth in mainstream politics
• Motivation – Relevant in order to understand Pakistan’s economic
standing in the Trump era
- Important to understand because 60% population is youth
• Critical Analysis – Has the investment scenario has improved as claimed by the
Government
- Is youth actually involved in mainstream politics or just the
social media bubble
RELAX – IT WILL BE A FUN COURSE
WHAT IS HISTORY?

• ‘Historein’ – Greek word – to find out by enquiry

• Everything that has happened until now and has been ‘enquired
about’
• If it involves ‘enquiry’ – can history be unbiased?
WHY STUDY HISTORY?
• Teaches you context by helping understand
people and society
• Helps you understand ‘change’
• Makes you part of the bigger picture
• Real grasp of how world works
EXPLAINING SOME TERMS
• Circa. (C.) means approximately
• Dionysian Era System
Before Christ - BC Anno Domini (Year of the Lord) AD
• Common Era System
- Same as Dionysian Era but more ‘secular’ nomenclature
Before Common Era (BCE) Year of Christ’s Birth Common Era (CE)
- There is no 0 year - 1 BCE followed by 1 CE
TIMELINE OF WORLD HISTORY
• The pre-historic world (4.5 MYA to 3000 BCE) (lecture 1)
Evolution of the human specie to the establishment of the early sophisticated
civilization
• The Ancient World (3000 BCE to 700 BCE) (lecture 1)
Advancement in technology, language and settlement
• The Classical World (700 BCE to 600 CE) (lecture 1)
The Rise Civilizations
CONTINUED…
• The Medieval World (600 to 1450) (lecture 2)
Also known as the middle ages/dark ages. Rise and Fall of mighty Empires
• Early Modern World (1450 to 1750) (lecture 2,3,4)
Exploration and colonization
• The World of Empires (1750 – 1914) (lecture 5,6,7,8)
Also known as age of revolutions
• The modern world (1914 onwards) (post-mid)
LET THE HISTORY BEGIN…
• First Humans
150,000 YA -> Homo Sapiens Sapiens – Wise Wise Humans
70,000 YA -> Moved out of Africa
10,000 BCE -> Found throughout the world
• Paleolithic Age
‘old stone age’ – primitive old stones
Hunting and gathering for daily food – hence nomadic
Bands of 30 to 40
Adapting was important – why various races developed…
• Neolithic Age (10,000 to 4000 BCE)
New stone age
Hunting and gathering to food production
Growing of crops + taming of animals = Agricultural Revolution
Settled Communities were possible -> permanent houses could be built -> engage in
trade -> division of labour -> different roles for men and women
JERICHO IN PALESTINE
Possibly the oldest continuously inhabited city in the
world
EMERGENCE OF CIVILIZATION
• Civilization : Complex culture in which large number of people share a variety of
common elements
• Basic Characteristics:
- Urban focus
- Political and military structures
- Social Structure
- Complexity in material sense
- Distinct religious structures
- Development of writing
- New and significant artistic and intellectual activity
ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS OF THE WORLD
MESOPOTAMIA
• Oldest Civilization
• By 3000 BCE the Sumerians had
established several independent
cities
• Valley between River Tigris and
Euphrates
• Irregular flooding – hence
complex system of irrigation
FEATURES OF MESOPOTAMIA
• Cities
Walled and properly planned
• Organized Government
Monarchy (divine right to rule)
Hammurabi’s law
• Importance of religion
Polytheistic
Temples in the middle of cities
• Social Classes
Elites, dependent commoners, free commoners and slaves
• Arts and Science
Art based around deities and gods
Great strides in math and astronomy
ANCIENT EGYPT
• Nile River Valley
• Divided into three periods
- Old Kingdom (built pyramids)
- Middle Kingdom
- New Kingdom (built temples)

• Religion was central

• Social Classes
• Strong culture – importance on Art and Writing
THE GREEK CITY STATES
SALIENT FEATURES OF GREEK CIVILIZATION
• The idea of Polis – autonomous political unit
• Hoplites – very well trained soldiers
• Religion – twelve chief gods – lived on mount Olympus
• Distinct cultures in the city states – Sparta and Athens
• Fought the Persians together
• However later, Sparta and Athens went to war with each other – The
Peloponnesian War (431 BCE)
CULTURE AND INFLUENCE OF ANCIENT GREEK
• Democracy – established in Athens
• History - Thucydides – greatest ancient historian – wrote about the war – developed
the theory of Political Realism
• Western Political Philosophy – Socrates -> Plato -> Aristotle
• Drama – Greek Tragedy
• Architecture – moderation, harmony and symmetry
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
• North of the Greek City States – Kingdom of Macedonia
• Weakened by inter-city wars – Macedonian army easily took over Greece
• Alexander became the king at the age of 20 when his father died (334 BCE)
• Went to battle with Persia – one of the greatest Empires of the time
• In 12 years had conquered a vast area
• Was influenced by Greek culture hence promoted it - helped in spreading it further –
hence fusion of cultures
• Empire crumbled after his death (323 BCE)
• Ushered in Hellenistic Era