This is the second of two intensive advanced reading courses in the Arabic language. This course will concentrate on works relating to history which includes universal histories in the world from creation up to their own eras; biographies of individuals and biographical dictionaries, advice literature that guide rulers to govern efficiently; poetry by poets and poetesses; maqãmãt or works of rhymed prose; mystical texts; travelogues that describe the adventures and observations of travelers to faraway lands; annalistic chronicles that record events from year to year; and chancery documents that shed light on the way medieval administrations worked.