Fall 2023 - HIST 254 D100
China to 1800 (3)
Class Number: 3476
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 6 – Dec 5, 2023: Fri, 2:30–4:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Cyrus Yee
Office Hours: By appointment -
Instructor:
Kiyip Yee
kiyipy@sfu.ca
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
This course offers a broad survey of the history of China from antiquity to the eve of its modern transformations at the turn of the nineteenth century. It aims to challenge the perception of an unchanging China and to encourage students to develop a critical understanding of the forces integrating and dividing this geo-cultural unit. Breadth-Humanities.
COURSE DETAILS:
This is an introductory course aiming to equip students with an understanding of China’s history from antiquity to 1800 ADE. It explores a set of important and interrelated aspects in pre-modern Chinese history, including politics, society, culture, economy, and religion. It emphasizes the continuity of China’s development and growth. It also goes beyond the limitations of traditional historiography by exploring the forces beyond the country’s borders that have transformed its history.
By the end of the course, students are expected to acquire a fundamental yet comprehensive knowledge in premodern Chinese history. They should be able to assess and explain the significant historical forces, both internal and external, that have made modern China. They are also expected to master the fundamental methods in reading and criticism of different types of historical sources.
Syllabus
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Lecture |
Topic & Reading |
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1 |
Introduction: The Study of Chinese History J. Fairbank & M. Goldman, China: A New History (Enlarged Edition). Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1992, pp. 1-25; OR R. Huang, China: A Macro History (Turn of the Century Edition). Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 1997, pp. 23-30. |
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2 |
Pre Qin period: Hundred Schools of Thought V. Hansen, The Open Empire: A History of China to 1600 (Second Edition), 2015. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2000), pp. 57-90. |
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3 |
Qin Dynasty and the Great Unity J. Fairbank & M. Goldman, China: A New History (Enlarged Edition), pp. 26-71. |
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4 |
Han Dynasty and the Silk Road M. Lewis, The Early Chinese Empires: Qin and Han. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007, pp. 128-154. |
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5 |
Southern & Northern Dynasties and the Patriarchal Society M. Lewis, China Between Empires: The Northern and Southern Dynasties. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009, pp. 28-85. |
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6 |
Tang China and the Silk Road M. Lewis, China’s Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009, pp. 145-178. |
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7 |
Neo-Confucianism and “Confucian Rule” in the Song Dynasty D. Kuhn, The Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009, pp. 29-70. |
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8 |
Chinggis Khan, Mongol Empire and the Yuan Dynasty M. Rossabi, A History of China. Malden and Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, 2014, pp. 211-232. |
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9 |
Ming Dynasty and its Asian Neighbors E. Mote, Imperial China: 900-1800. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1999, pp. 612-616, 685-722. |
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10 |
Society of the Late Ming: “Capitalism” and Refined Culture E. Mote, Imperial China: 900-1800, pp. 743-775. |
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11 |
Early Qing: Governance W. Rowe, China’s Last Empire: The Great Qing. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2009, pp. 31-62. Early Qing: Ethno-Cultural Diversity Regime |
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12 |
J.F. Fletcher, “Ch’ing Inner Asia”, in D.C. Twitchett and J. Fairbank (eds.), The Cambridge history of China, Volume 10, Part 1. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978, pp. 35–106. |
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13 |
Review and Guest lecture |
Grading
- Tutorial attendance and participation 23%
- Three short essays, (two essays of approximately 900 words, each worth 20%; one essay of approximately 1,200-1,500 words, worth 25%) 65%
- Four brief writing exercises (no longer than a paragraph), to be submitted during lecture 12%
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
REQUIRED READING:
Valerie Hansen, The Open Empire: A History of China to 1600, Second Edition, 2015. (W. W. Norton & Company, 2000).
Other readings available on Canvas.
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the semester are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.