Premodern Chinese History

Catalog description

The course introduces the foundations of modern China from the Song Dynasty up through the late imperial period (about 1800 CE to 1911). It will cover the major historical events, developments, and trends -- social, political, economic, philosophical, literary, cultural, multi-ethnic, and China's relations with the other regions. The main focus of the course will be on primary sources, which include dynastic histories, historical biographies, novels, folktales, satires, poetry, contracts, ritual manuals, diaries, letters, scientific treatises, philological studies, and court debates. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach, integrating history with literary studies, philosophy, and anthropology, in order for student to better understand these texts in their historical context. 001076