China And The West

Catalog description

Study of key junctures in history of direct and indirect relations between China and Europe from antiquity to mid-19th Century. Ancient trade and origins of Silk Route in antiquity; Ibn Batuta, Marco Polo, William of Rubruck and other traveler-authors of medieval times; pre-European world trading order; expansion of Europe and role of Jesuits as cultural intermediaries; opium and coming of imperialism. Ample attention paid to political and economic patterns of interaction. Primary focus upon cultural perceptions and (mis)understandings. Readings include both primary accounts (Chinese and Western) and secondary studies.