Origins of the State and Forms of Political Organisation in Ancient Asia
Code
722051150
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
História
Credits
10
Weekly hours
3 letivas + 1 tutorial
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
a) To understand the raising of complex political structures in Asia, during Antiquity
b) To know the main characteristics of complex political structures that existed in Asia during Antiquity
c) To understand Asian political dynamics created in Antiquity that keep existing today
d) To know specific bibliography and Historiographical problems on the subject
e) To develop skills for being able to make oral and written presentations about research from original documentation in a
critical perspective.
f) To get knowledge enough to pursuit deeper studies in the field of Ancient Asia.
Prerequisites
None
Subject matter
- The first urban civilisations
- The Sumerian state city
- Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
- Xia and Shang dynasties and their neighbor kingdoms.
- Great Political entities and empires
- Akkad. Babylon. Assyria and Babylon (1st millenium a.C.)
- Achmenid Persia. The Maurya Empire
- The Chinese empire of the Qin and the Han
- Relationship between sedentary and nomads, and socio-political proto-state structures
- Political and social codes
- Sumerian legal codes
- Semitic legal codes
- Arthasastra
- The appearance of a burocratic state in China
Bibliography
- LIVERANI, Mario, Relaciones internacionales en el Próximo Oriente antiguo, 1600-1100 a.C., Barcelona, Edicions Bellaterra, 2003.
- The Cambridge History of Ancient China: from origins of civilization to 221 B.C. (eds: Michael LOWE e Edward SHAUGHNESSY), Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- ODED, Bustenay, War, peace and empire. Justifications for war in Assyrian royal inscriptions, Wiesbaden, Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, 1992.
- The Cambridge History of China: vol. 1 The Chin and Han empires, 221 B.C. A.D. 220 (ed. Denys TWITCHETT e Michael LOEWE), Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1986.
- RENOU, Louis, La civilisation de lInde Ancienne, Paris, Flammarion, 1981.
Teaching method
Theoretical Sessions.
Practical sessions:
Exercise the commentary of documents.
Discussion of papers.
Activities aimed at teaching - assistance to conferences
Evaluation method
Writing an essay (60%)
Oral presentation of the essay (5%)
Presentation of a book in class (20%)
Report of a conference (15%)