OSHER 805 - Women of Power in the Middle East

This course will examine the lives, roles, agendas, and influences of powerful women throughout Middle Eastern history. Classes will be organized chronologically, and include discussions of ancient female Pharaohs, classical warrior queens, medieval sultanas, and modern female prime ministers, as well as the wives and daughters of the Prophet Muhammad. The course focus will be on the ways women traditionally consolidate and maintain personal political power, as well as the role of warfare, political and civil unrest, and extreme cultural changes in bringing women into positions of power.