Empires in World History (UoA)

Undergraduate | 2026

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Area/Catalogue
HIST 1008
Course ID icon
Course ID
206944
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
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Course level
1
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Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
Yes
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University-wide elective course
Yes
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
Yes
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

From the beginning of recorded history to the twentieth century, the world has been shaped by the rise and fall of empires. They are an early attempt at a political unit larger than city or ethnic identity, and the concept has been remarkably resilient across the globe. This course explores how and why this idea of empire developed; how they were organised, how they were kept together, how rulers and ruled interacted, and how and why empires disintegrated. We will focus on a small number of world empires, beginning with one which has had an enduring cultural impact, namely the Roman Empire. We will then move to more recent empires from across the world. This is more than political history. We investigate the impact of empire on language, art, culture, religion, the economy, the environment and, of course, political ideas of identity. The course has three main objectives. Firstly, it provides an introduction to the study of history at university level. Students will receive training in the practice of history by learning how to interpret and use primary and secondary sources (in translation) and how to frame an evidence-based historical argument. Secondly, the course furnishes students with an overview of the 'big picture' of world history across the last 2,500 years. Students will acquire essential contextual knowledge which will enrich their understanding of almost any subsequent course they take in history, classical studies or the humanities. Thirdly, the course introduces students to civilisations that are quite different and in some ways alien to our own, and yet which in many ways are similar. In our interconnected world, an understanding of the historical roots of different cultures is a prerequisite for global citizenship.

Course learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate a deep historical knowledge ranging over time, space, and cultures, that includes an understanding of change and continuity over time.
  • Use critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to identify, access and analyse a wide variety of primary, secondary, textual and visual sources.
  • Use critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to evaluate and generate ideas and to construct evidence-based arguments in various formats in a planned and timely manner.
  • Exchange and explore historical ideas in small-group discussions by using team-work and communication skills which draw particularly on emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
  • Demonstrate an appreciation of, and sensitivity to, the diversity of historical and visual cultures.
  • Examine historical issues according to the scholarly and ethical conventions of the discipline of history.
  • Relate developments and concepts from the history of empires to an ethical understanding of social, cultural and political circumstances in the contemporary and intercultural world.
  • Demonstrate historical skills conducive to career readiness, including: information technology skills to manage data and to communicate, skills in collaborative and self-directed problem-solving, and sensitivity to intercultural and ethical issues.

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A