(The Umayyads)

paper_1_topic_0

The leaders of the ‘Abbasid revolution claimed they were justified in overthrowing the Umayyad dynasty because the Umayyads were godless rulers who lacked piety. do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Why? In your opinion, did the Umayyads deserve to be overthrown?. the paper should include: 1) Write an outline of your paper. Make sure that you have an introductory paragraph, a clear thesis statement, evidence supporting your thesis, and a conclusion that summarizes your thesis. 2) State your thesis up front (no later than the end of the first paragraph). You don’t have space for a lengthy introduction and background. You need to get to the point quickly. 3) Be sure you have an arguable thesis. You should state whether you agree or disagree with the above statement and why. 4) Be sure to include a title, ideally one that reflects your thesis argument. 5) Be sure to proofread your work.

NES/HIST/RELI 277A

History of the Middle East, 600-1453

Fall 2011

PAPER TOPIC #1: The Umayyads

Write a 3-4 page paper (5-6 pages for Honors students) on the following topic. Your paper is due in class, on Friday, September 30th.

The leaders of the ‘Abbasid revolution claimed they were justified in overthrowing the Umayyad dynasty because the Umayyads were godless rulers who lacked piety. Based on your class readings and lecture notes, do you agree or disagree with this assessment? Why? In your opinion, did the Umayyads deserve to be overthrown?

In order to formulate your argument, think about the following aspects of Umayyad rule and choose one or two to focus on:

1. What were some of the ways in which Umayyad rulers tried to establish their authority over the areas in which they ruled?

2. What were some of the administrative policies Umayyad rulers established?

3. How did Umayyad rulers deal with those who challenged their authority?

4. Did particular Umayyad rulers exhibit more piety than others? How might this affect your assessment of their overall rule?

Paper instruction:

1) Write an outline of your paper. Make sure that you have an introductory paragraph, a clear thesis

statement, evidence supporting your thesis, and a conclusion that summarizes your thesis.

2) State your thesis up front (no later than the end of the first paragraph). You don’t have space for a lengthy introduction and background. You need to get to the point quickly.

3) Be sure you have an arguable thesis. You should state whether you agree or disagree with the above statement and why.

4) Be sure to include a title, ideally one that reflects your thesis argument.

5) Be sure to proofread your work.

6) Don’t wait until the last minute – great ideas form over time.

7) I am interested in YOUR ideas, not those of other people. DO NOT USE SOURCES OTHER THAN THE CLASS READINGS AND LECTURE NOTES.

Formatting and Citation:

You do not need to use footnotes for this paper. You can simply write the author and page number after each quotation in parenthesis, for example (Kennedy 95). Your paper should be typed, double-spaced, with 12-point Times New Roman font and 1-inch margins all around.

Grading Criteria:

A – Original, well-argued thesis; clear organization; strong analysis; no grammar/spelling mistakes.

B – Thesis present, but not original or well-argued; some analysis; a few grammar/spelling mistakes.

C – Unclear thesis and/or organization; little or no analysis; grammar/spelling mistakes.

D – No thesis or organization; no analysis; grammar/spelling mistakes; poorly written; does not meet minimum page requirement.

F – Does not fulfill the requirements of the assignment.