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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Organising an Empire: The Assyrian Way by Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU)

4.8
stars
768 ratings

About the Course

Discover the mighty kingdom of Assyria, which came to be the world’s first great empire three thousand years ago. From the 9th to the 7th centuries BC, during the imperial phase of Assyria’s long history, modern day northern Iraq was the central region of a state reaching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, and incorporating what is now Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, as well as half of Israel, and wide parts of south-eastern Turkey, and Western Iran. In its geographical extent, this state was unprecedentedly large, and the distinct geography of the Middle East, with deserts and high mountain ranges, posed challenges to communication and cohesion. What were the mechanisms that kept the Empire running? This course explores the methods the Assyrian government employed to ensure unity and maintain loyalty across vast distances, using traditional as well as innovative strategies. Some of these imperial techniques have marked parallels in the ways modern multi-national corporations are operating, others will strike you as profoundly alien. This course focusses on how the Assyrians organised their empire by analysing key aspects, namely: · The CEO – the king, a religious, political and military leader, who is charged to govern by his master, the god Assur; · Home Office – the royal palace in the central region and the royal court that form the administrative centre of the state; · The Regional Managers – the governors and client-rulers to whom local power is delegated; · Human Resources – the Empire’s people are its most precious assets, its consumers and its key product, as the goal of the imperial project was to create “Assyrians”; an approach with lasting repercussions that still reverberate in the Middle East today; and finally · The Fruits of Empire – it takes a lot of effort, so what are the rewards? When we explore these topics we will contextualise them with information about the lives led by ordinary Assyrian families. Taking this course will provide you with an overview of the political, social, religious, and military history of the world’s first superpower. It will give you insight into the geography and climatic conditions of the Middle East and contribute to your understanding of the opportunities and challenges of that region. It will present you with a vision of the Middle East at a time when its political and religious structures were very different from today....

Top reviews

SS

Jan 15, 2021

This was my first MOOC and I fully enjoyed every aspect. The knowledge level of the instructors was evident as was their commitment to their students and the varied formats were consistently engaging.

LF

Jan 27, 2021

The variety of presentations of a vast amount of knowledge made it engaging. Dr. Radner herself was engaging! The course provided a deep look into a civilization that is a bedrock to the modern world.

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301 - 308 of 308 Reviews for Organising an Empire: The Assyrian Way

By Alexandr Z

Apr 21, 2023

Test's formating is very uncomfortable

Moreover, the material is quite hard to understand. I believe that it could be some reading adding with some schemas and main facts, although tests are a bit complex (maybe because 2 reasons above)

By Prateek D

Feb 21, 2023

A great introduction to the Assyrian empire. But no certificate is provided despite completion of all the quizzes and assignments.

By Aroop D

Jul 4, 2024

the course is very nice but they do not provide a certificate, so you will not be able to add this to your linkdin profile or CV

By Zlatica S H

Oct 11, 2023

It started off well, but then gets muddled

By Pamela T

Apr 13, 2023

I think this could be a good interesting course. It started out great with a good introduction by professor Sijpesteijn. But, then I spent the first hour or so learning about the university, about how to take the course, how to succed in the course. Thinking the next click will be the lesson. While understandable, it could have just been a single page with an "optional" list of "university promo and how-to" links.

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By Luis

Oct 4, 2021

El curso esta bien pero para los alumnos que no hablamos ingles , esta muy mal, las traducciones no son buenas , y sobre todo los cuestionarios es dificilisimo contestar si no esta bien traducido , hay que estar siempre pegado al traductor de google , o al que sea para poder contestar alguna pregunta . Deberian solucionar esto

By fernando g u

Sep 20, 2021

Interesante curso.

By Carlos H

Aug 9, 2020

Not Certified.