University of Bahrain

Quality Assurance and Accreditation Center

Course Syllabus Form

1. Course code: HISTO142 2. Course title: Readings in History

3. College: College of Arts

4. Department: Department of Social Sciences

5. Program: B.A. in History

6. Course credits: 3

7. Course NQF Level: 5

8. NQF Credits: 12

9. Prerequisite: None

10. Lectures Timing & Location: 12:30-13:45 (MW); S1A-047

11. Course web page: None

12. Course Instructor: Dr. Waleed Mohamed Saffaie
Office No.: S1A-166; E-Mail Address: wbasioun@uob.edu.bh
13. Office Hours and Location: 5:00-6:00 (UT & MW); S1A-166

14. Course coordinator: Dr. Waleed Mohamed Saffaie

15. Academic year: 2023-2024

16. Semester: First Second  Summer
17. Textbook(s):
- Guicciardini, F. (1984) The History of Italy. Translated by S. Alexander. Princeton,
Princeton University Press.
- Herodotus of Halicarnassus (2009) The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories. Translated
by A.L. Purvis. New York, Anchor Books.
- Tabari (al-), M. (1989) The History of Al-Tabari, Volume XXX: The ‘Abbasid Caliphate
in Equilibrium. Translated by C.E. Bosworth. Albany, State University of New York
Press.
University of Bahrain – Quality Assurance& Accreditation Center - Course Syllabus Form
Note: Additional information could be added as required by the Instructor, (eg,
1
Policies)
Note: Items shown underlined cannot be changed without the department consent.

QF-20-rev.a.4
 18. References:
- Bellamy, J.A. (1985) A New Reading of the Namara Inscription, Journal of the
American Oriental Society 105, 1, 31-51.
- Breasted, J.H. (1906) Ancient Records of Egypt: Historical Documents from the Earliest
Times to the Persian Conquest, Collected, Edited and Translated with Commentary
(Volume I: The First to the Seventeenth Dynasties). Chicago, the University of Chicago
Press.
- Breasted, J.H. (1906) Ancient Records of Egypt: Historical Documents from the Earliest
Times to the Persian Conquest, Collected, Edited and Translated with Commentary
(Volume III: The Nineteenth Dynasty). Chicago, the University of Chicago Press.
- Diodorus Siculus (1995) Diodorus Siculus: The Reign of Philip II (The Greek and
Macedonian Narrative from Book XVI). Translated by E.I. McQueen. London, Bristol
Classical Press.
- Gaius Julius Caesar (2019) The Landmark Julius Caesar: The Complete Works.
Translated by K.A. Raaflaub. New York, Anchor Books.
- Glassner, J. (2005) Mesopotamian Chronicles. Leiden, Brill.
- Grayson, A. (1975) Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles. Pennsylvania, Eisenbrauns.
Greek League of 303 BCE (2020) Translated by M.M. Austin. Livius.org. Available at:
https://www.livius.org/sources/content/the-greek-league-of-303-bce/ (Accessed: March
20, 2022).
- Green, J.R. (1903) A Short History of the English People, Volume IV. London,
Macmillan and Co., Limited.
- Hayward, J. (1840) Annals of the First Four Years of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth.
London, the Camden Society.
- Ibn al-Athir, A. (2007) The Chronicle of Ibn Athir for the Crusading Period from al-
Kamil fi’l-ta’rikh. Part 2: The Years 541-589/1146-1193: The Age of Nur al-Din and
Saladin. Translated by D.S. Richards. London, Routledge.
- Jacobsen, T. (1939) The Sumerian King List. Chicago, the University of Chicago Press.
- King, L.W. and Thompson, R.C. (1907) The Sculptures and Inscription of Darius the
Great on the Rock of Behistun in Persia: A New Collation of the Persian, Susian, and
Babylonian Texts, with English Translations, Etc. London, the British Museum.
- Komnene, A. (2009) The Alexiad. Translated by E.R.A. Sewter. London, Penguin Books
Ltd.
- Skylitzes, J. (2010) A Synopsis of Byzantine History: 811-1057. Translated by J.
Wortley. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
- Thucydides (1996) The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the
Peloponnesian War. Translated by R Crawley. New York, Touchstone.

These are supplemented by additional translations found on the Livius.org website and
employed in accordance with the conditions of academic “fair use”.
19. Other learning resources used (e.g. e-Learning, field visits, periodicals, software,
etc.):
E-learning, handouts, Library Education Services, UoB Library Database.
20. Course description (as per the published):

‫ بلغة وأسلوب‬،‫يهدف هذا المقرر إلى تعريف الطالب بأبرز المصطلحات اإلنجليزية المستخدمة في مجال التاريخ‬
‫ كما يهدف المقرر إلى انتقاء مجموعة‬.‫ ويسعى إلى تطوير قدرات الطالب في البحث العلمي باللغة اإلنجليزية‬.‫مبسط‬

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 ‫من الحقب التاريخية المختلفة من تاريخ البشرية ليقوم الطالب بقراءتها ومناقشتها أثناء المحاضرة بدءًا بحقبة ما قبل‬
.‫ ووصوًال إلى التاريخ الحديث والمعاصر‬،‫ وتاريخ العصور الوسطى‬،‫ ومرورًا بالتاريخ القديم‬،‫التاريخ‬

This course aims to familiarize the student with the most prominent English terminology
employed in historiography, in simplified language and manner. It attempts to develop the
student’s capacity for academic research in the English language. The course also
attempts to cover sources from various periods of human history to be read and discussed
by the student during lectures, beginning with the Prehistoric Era and passing through
ancient history and medieval history before arriving at modern history.

Program Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs):

A. The student will employ historical events by linking them to the state thus
emphasizing the Arab and Islamic bond and acknowledging the role of the
Kingdom of Bahrain’s civilization.
B. The student will be able to understand current affairs based on historical events.
C. The student will able to utilize modern technology during presentation of
historical studies.
D. The student will be able to analyze in detail historical events based on a well-
rounded knowledge of events.
E. The student will be to do projects either individually or in a group, while utilizing
the latest forms of academic research in historical studies and social sciences in
addition to being objective in analyzing historical events.

21. Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):

Mapping to PILOs
CILOs 1 2 3 4 5
1. To be acquainted with the 
value of primary and
secondary sources in
historiography.
2. To examine a selection of     
historical sources spanning a
variety of types, eras,
cultures, and regions.
3. To identify the principal 
components of historical
sources in relation to context.
4. To interpret information    
embedded within historical
sources.
5. To infer differences in  
reliability when studying
historical sources.

22. Course assessment:

Assessment Type Details/ Numbe Weight Date(s)
University of Bahrain – Quality Assurance& Accreditation Center - Course Syllabus Form 3
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 Explanation of r
Assessment in
relation to CILOs
Quizzes The quizzes will 2 10% 11/03/202
assess the course 4
material and 22/04/202
related CILOs 4

Examinations The exam will 1 30% 27/03/202

cover the course 4
material and
related CILOs
spanning the
period from the
beginning of the
term up to the
end of week six
Assignments The assignment 1 10% 15/04/202
will assess the 4
course material
up to Week 13
and related
CILOs, with
special emphasis
on the 4th CILO
Final The exam will be 1 40% 01/06/202
Examination comprehensive, 4
thereby assessing
the student in
relation to all
CILOs
Total 5 100%

23. Description of Topics Covered

Topic Title Description
(e.g.
chapter/experiment
title)
What are historical The student is introduced to terminology relevant to the
sources and how to study of history, including the difference between primary
study them. and secondary sources. The student is also made familiar
The importance of with the development of the “historical method” in
primary and relation to these sources in the context of historiography.
secondary sources in
the context of
historiography.
Historical sources “The Sumerian Kings List”;
from Ancient “Chronicle of Early Kings”.
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Mesopotamia
Historical sources “Biography of Methen”;
from Ancient Egypt “Official Record of the Battle of Kadesh”.
Historical sources Excerpt from the “Behistun Inscription” of Darius I;
from Ancient Persia another Achaemenid inscription from the reign of Darius
I.
Historical sources Excerpt from Herodotus’ Histories (“Herodotus on
from Ancient Greece Thermopylae”);
excerpt from Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian
War (“Thucydides on the outbreak of the Archidamian
war”).
Historical sources “Greek League of 303 BCE”;
from the Hellenistic excerpt from Diodorus Siculus’ Bibliotheca historica
Era (“Diodorus on the battle of Chaeronea”).
Historical sources Excerpt from Caesar’s The Gallic Wars (“Caesar on the
from Ancient Rome Siege of Alesia”);
except from a summary of Livy’s History of Rome (“Livy,
Periochae 106-110”).
Historical sources “Namara Inscription”;
from Ancient Arabia “Bi’r Hima Inscription of the Himyarite King Yusuf As’ar
Yath’ar (Ja 1028)”.
Historical sources Excerpt from John Skylitzes’ A Synopsis of Byzantine
from Medieval History (“Skylitzes on the Byzantine Emperor Basil I”);
Byzantium excerpt from Anna Komnene’s Alexiad (“Anna Komnene
on the Crusade of 1101 CE”).
Historical sources Excerpt from The History of al-Tabari (“Al-Tabari on
from Medieval Islam Caliph Harun al-Rashid’s Punitive War Against
Nicophorus”);
excerpt from The Complete History of Ibn al-Athir (“Ibn
al-Athir on Saladin and the End of the Third Crusade”).
Historical sources Excerpt from a medieval Indian historical source;
from Medieval India excerpt from a medieval Chinese historical source.
and China
Historical sources Excerpt from an Early Medieval historical source from
from Medieval Europe Western Europe;
excerpt from a Late Medieval historical source from
Western Europe.
Historical sources Excerpt from Francesco Guicciardini’s The History of
from the Renaissance Italy (“Guicciardini on French Ambassadors Sent to
Era Florence and Rome”);
excerpt from Sir John Hayward’s Annals of the First Four
Years of the Reign of Queen Elizabeth (“Hayward on the
Treaty of Edinburgh”).
Historical sources Excerpt from an Early Modern historical source;
from the Late Modern excerpt from John Richard Green’s A Short History of the
Era English People (“Green on the War of the Sixth
Coalition”).

University of Bahrain – Quality Assurance& Accreditation Center - Course Syllabus Form 5

QF-20-rev.a.4
24. Weekly Schedule
Wee Teaching Assessmen
Date Topics covered CILOs
k Method t
- What are historical Discussions,
sources and how to PowerPoint
study them slides,
11-15 Discussion
1 - The Importance of 1 providing
Feb s
primary and secondary students with
sources in the context of relevant
historiography terminology
Lectures,
Questions
18-22 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
2 and
Feb Ancient Mesopotamia 4, 5 slides, textual
answers
analysis
Lectures,
Questions
25-29 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
3 and
Feb Ancient Egypt 4, 5 slides, textual
answers
analysis
Lectures,
Questions
3-7 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
4 and
Maech Ancient Persia 4, 5 slides, textual
answers
analysis
Lectures,
10-14 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
5 Quiz
March Ancient Greece 4, 5 slides, textual
analysis
Lectures,
Questions
17-21 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
6 and
March the Hellenistic Era 4, 5 slides, textual
answers
analysis
Lectures,
Questions
24-28 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
7 and
March Ancient Rome 4, 5 slides, textual
answers
analysis
31
8 March – Mid-Term Break - None None
4 April
Lectures,
7 -11 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
9 Mid-Term
April Ancient Arabia 4, 5 slides, textual
analysis
Lectures,
Questions
14-18 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
10 and
April Medieval Byzantium 4, 5 slides, textual
answers
analysis
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QF-20-rev.a.4
 Lectures,
PowerPoint
slides, textual
Questions
21-25 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, analysis,
11 and
April Medieval Islam 4, 5 providing
answers
students with
relevant
terminology
28 April Lectures,
- Historical sources from Questions
– 2 May 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
12 Medieval India and and
Decemb 4, 5 slides, textual
China answers
er analysis
Lectures,
PowerPoint
slides, textual
- Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, analysis,
13 5-9 May Quiz
Medieval Europe 4, 5 providing
students with
relevant
terminology
Lectures,
PowerPoint
slides, textual
12-16 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, analysis, Assignme
14
May the Renaissance Era 4, 5 providing nt
students with
relevant
terminology
Lectures,
Questions
19-23 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
15 and
May the Renaissance Era 4, 5 slides, textual
answers
analysis
Lectures,
Questions
26-28 - Historical sources from 1, 2, 3, PowerPoint
16 and
May the Late Modern Era 4, 5 slides, textual
answers
analysis

Academic Integrity Statement

Honesty and integrity are integral components of the academic process. Students are
expected to be honest and ethical at all time in their pursuit of academic goals in
accordance with Regulations of Professional Conduct Violations for University of
Bahrain Students, UOB Plagiarism Policy and UoB Guide to Students Rights and Duties.
Any breach of academic integrity will be dealt according to the Regulations for
Professional Conduct Violations

Prepared by: Dr. Waleed Mohamed Saffaie

Date: 12/02/2024
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