AH4154 Chinggis Khan and His Descendants: Art and Culture in Mongol Eurasia

Academic year

2023 to 2024 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Planned timetable

To be confirmed

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr Y Yu

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr Yusen Yu

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

In the thirteenth century, Chinggis Khan (ca. 1162–1227) and his descendants created a vast Mongol Empire that covered large parts of Asia, the Middle East and Europe. While their conquests shook the Old World to its very foundations, their powerful patronage fostered a climate of extremely intense creativity in cultural production. This module explores the art and culture of the Mongol Eurasia in the light of both contemporary written sources and material evidences. We will start from Mongolia on the eve of its rise and investigate the art and architecture of the four branches (ulus) of the empire after Chinggis Khan: the Yuan in China (1271–1368), the Chagatai Khanate in Central Asia (ca. 1227–1363), the Golden Horde that extended from the Carpathian Mountains in eastern Europe to the steppes of Siberia (ca. 1227–1502), and the bordering Ilkhanate in Iran (1256–1353). Other topics include the exchange of the Mongols with the Mamluk Sultanate in Egypt and Syria and the Latin West.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS AH1001 OR PASS AH1003 AND PASS AH2001 AND PASS AH2002

Assessment pattern

100% coursework

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

3 Seminars (x10 weeks) 1 field trip

Scheduled learning hours

36

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

252

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Discuss aspects of art, architecture and urbanism in the Mongol domain and beyond
  • Systematically analyse the content and style of such works
  • Engage critically with different types of primary sources
  • Present clear analytical discussions of material and issues in both written and oral form
  • Understand the medieval cultures from a comparative and connective perspective