English 255 - Intro to Comparative Empires

This course probes the characteristics of imperial rule, as well as the differences between one empire and another. The course asks: What are empires, and what animates them - economic exploitation, power politics, and/or cultural commitments? How do empires impose and maintain their authority, and what is their impact on centers and provinces, and on elites and the common people? How do empires deal with the heterogeneous peoples, religions, races, and cultures they conquer and incorporate into their fold? Who is driven to resist imperial power, how do they resist, and what other forces lead empires to dissolve? Finally, what is the relation between empire and the modern nation state?

This course is limited to sophomores only.