This course will introduce you to important concepts, processes, and debates in Global History from ancient times to the end of the 15th century. A fundamental goal of this course is to recognize that the premodern global past was not a Eurocentric phenomenon. We will decentre Europe in our study of the past and we will pursue a greater plurality of perspectives than what historians have often traditionally examined. You will be introduced to the practice of History: our goal is not to absorb random historical “facts” but to learn how to think historically and to strive to understand how past people understood the world around them. Throughout the course, we will reflect on the enduring relevance of the premodern past to our own lives and society in the 21st century. You will play a pivotal role in this course in applying your own knowledge and experiences to these important discussions and learning from the perspectives of your peers as well as of people in the past. In addition to attending lectures, you and your peers will apply your developing historical understandings from the course to solve problems posed in weekly tutorials based on your engagement of primary historical materials. We will conclude the course by reflecting on the question: what was the world that was disrupted by oceanic contacts, ca. 1500?
