Mid-term Study Guide

"Midterm Study Guide"

The midterm will be available from 9:00am on Monday, October 30th until 9:00pm, Tuesday, October 31st (yes, I am aware that is Halloween). You must submit the exam before 9:00pm on the 31st. The midterm will be available through the testing section on the web site: you will log in there, take the exam, and then hit the submit key. From the time you log into the midterm, you will have 4 hours to complete the exam and submit it; if you take longer than that, you will not be allowed to submit the exam. Please pay attention to the time, as I will not accept exams that go over the four hour limit. In addition, I will not accept late exams, so be certain that you complete and submit the exam prior to 9:00 pm on Tuesday the 31st.

A few crucial things you should know:

1. You may use your book and your lectures and notes; however, this means that I expect that the exam will be well done, so names, dates, places, etc., should be accurate. DO NOT copy my lectures directly into your exam. I can tell: I wrote the lectures! When you cite material from the text, be certain that you quote or paraphrase it, and given credit to the author. You do not need to use any outside sources for this exam; your book and the lectures are more than sufficient to answer all of the questions asked.
2. You must answer two of the questions posed below; each is worth 50% of the exam grade. My grading scale is posted in the syllabus. There is no minimum or maximum length for the essays, but in my opinion, it would be difficult to answer any of the questions posed in less than two pages typed.
3. This exam is worth 20% of your total grade. Be certain you complete it and submit it. Late exams will not be accepted under any circumstances.
4. Make a copy of the exam as you are taking it, so that in case something happens you have a copy. If you claim that the testing center cut you off midway through, or that you submitted it and I did not receive it, you must have a copy of the exam to send to me at my request. It is crucial that you copy your answers into a file so that you can send them to me via email if necessary. DO NOT send me a copy via email unless I specifically request you to do so.
5. Please print this out and read over it carefully before you email me any questions: receiving emails regarding questions that have already been covered becomes very annoying. Thank you in advance.
6. Last, but definitely not least, DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE TO DO THIS EXAM!!!! There are 45 people currently enrolled in this class, and if you all wait until the last minute, no one will be able to access the exam. However, make sure that when you do log on, you are ready to take the exam: once you enter the midterm exam, you will only have the option of submitting your exam.

Midterm Instructions:

I will choose three (3) of the following questions, and you will be asked to answer two (2) of them.

1. Why did Islam spread so easily through the Middle East? What were the major tenets of Islam, and why was the faith so readily accepted by the peoples living in Mecca and Medina?

2. The Umayyads played a major role in the expansion of Islam. What did they accomplish, and why were they so important for the spread of the Islamic faith?

3. The Golden Age of Islam, during the reign of the Abbasids, was one of the greatest periods of creativity and discovery in all of Islamic history. What were the major accomplishments of the Golden Age, and how did the Abbasids contribute to the glory of the time?

4. The rise and spread of the Mongols was devastating to the Middle East and Europe. What impact did the Mongols have, and why were they an important element in the development of the Middle East?

5. What were the origins of authority for the Islamic world? How did the various elements of authority (the Qur’an, the shari’a, caliphs, sultans, etc) work with each other?

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