| CODE | HST3020 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Slavery in the Medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | History | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | Whether as domestic servants, rowers on the galleys, or manual labourers in urban and rural areas, slaves were a common sight in many parts of the Mediterranean from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. In contrast to the Americas, where the enslaved population was almost entirely of sub-Saharan African origin, slaves in the Mediterranean were mainly victims of religious warfare between Islamic and Christian powers and consequently hailed from more diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds. For some of these men and women, redemption made their slavery a temporary if unpleasant experience; for others it marked the beginning of a new life in a new place, often accompanied by conversion to the religion of their captors. These distinctive features of Mediterranean slavery as well as its ubiquitousness until modern times make it a worthwhile subject of study. The unit will proceed chronologically as well as thematically, exploring the evolution of slavery during the medieval and early modern eras in the Christian/European and Muslim/Ottoman regions of the Mediterranean. In addition to reading secondary sources related to the overall theme of the study-unit, students will also have the opportunity to read a range of primary sources from local archives. This study-unit is open to all interested students but may also serve as a preparation for those who wish to consider the subject for a dissertation project. Study-unit Aims: The purpose of this study-unit is to discover the broad diversity of Mediterranean slavery over many centuries and in the context of different political, economic and social realities. The unit aims to instill in students an understanding of: some historiographical debates in slavery studies and how they may apply to the Mediterranean context; the institution and forms of slavery in Christian/Islamic/European/Ottoman/Near Eastern society; the slave trade in the Mediterranean and its links to non-Mediterranean regions such as Africa and eastern Europe; the experience of slavery and trajectories to freedom; race and slavery. Students will read secondary sources that reflect different historical approaches to and perspectives of Mediterranean slavery, as well as primary sources ranging from legal and prescriptive sources to narrative sources such as memoirs and travelogues. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify and explain the historical significance of critical events, trends, and themes in history of slavery in the medieval and early modern Mediterranean; - Identify, locate, contextualize, and evaluate the usefulness of different forms of historical evidence related to Mediterranean slavery from c.1400 to c.1800; - Construct a historical argument grounded in evidence from primary and/or secondary sources. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Demonstrate command of a substantial body of historical knowledge; - Read and use texts and other source materials critically; - Gather, organise and apply evidence, data and information; - Present the results of one's research with coherence, clarity and fluency; - Complete time-sensitive tasks within assigned deadline. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Abela, J. (2018). Hospitaller Malta and the Mediterranean Economy in the Sixteenth Century. - Bono, S. (2016) Schiavi. Una storia mediterranea (XVI-XIX secolo). - Davis, R. (2003) Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters. White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast and Italy, 1500-1800. - Heers, J. (2006) The Barbary Corsairs. Warfare in the Mediterranean, 1480-1580. - Wettinger, G. (2002) Slavery in the Islands of Malta and Gozo ca. 1000-1812. Supplementary readings: - Blumenthal, D. (2009) Enemies and Familiars. Slavery and Mastery in Fifteenth-Century Valencia. - Bonaffini, G. (1983). La Sicilia e i barbareschi. Incursioni corsare e riscatto degli schiavi (1570-1606). - Fiume, G. (2010). Schiavitù mediterranee. Corsari, rinnegati e santi di età moderna. - Graf, T. (2017). The Sultan’s Renegades. Christian-European Converts to Islam and the Making of the Ottoman Elite, 1575-1610. - Hershenzon, D. (2018) The Captive Sea. Slavery, Communication and Commerce in Early Modern Spain and the Mediterranean. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Tutorial | ||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Joan Abela |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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