Imperialism in Asia and the Pacific

Catalog description

This course focuses on the modern imperialism of the West and Japan in Asia and the Pacific and covers the period from the "age of exploration" to the period of decolonization following the Second World War. The course also analyzes forms of what might be called neo-imperialism in Asia and the Pacific following that period. Topics emphasized include theories of imperialism as a constituent element of global modernity, the British Empire in Asia with particular respect to India, relatively informal imperialism in China, French and Dutch colonialism in Southeast Asia, the American takeover of Hawaii and US colonization of the formerly Spanish Philippines, and the rise and fall of the Japanese empire. Offered Alternate Years.