Imperial China, Prehistory to 1911
Professor: Zhang,
Xin
Office: CA
Hall, 503B
Phone: (317)
274-4898
Office Hours: By
appointment only
This course offers a brief survey of the
civilization of traditional China. The
emphasis of the lecture is on the development of the social structure,
political system and Confucian culture.
Since the instructor of the course has a strong Chinese cultural
background, the class welcomes discussion on the issues that concerning the
Chinese culture in general and its comparison to Western culture such as that
of America.
Students taking the course are required to
take two written exams, a mid-term and a final, and also to write a term paper
on a subject related to traditional China.
The mid-term exam is scheduled for Thursday, October 17, and the final
exam for Tuesday, December 10 from 1:00 to 3:00. The final exam will include only the materials covered since
mid-term. Your attendance of lecture is
required.
The following are the guidelines for the
paper:
1) A summary of the contents and main
arguments of the book
2) present your argument on one particular
issue
3) present secondary resources
4) your analysis
5) 10 doublespaced and typewritten pages in
length
(It is highly recommended to consult
instructor for the paper
topic.)
Required Texts:
Fairbank, John. K., The New History of China
Suggested
Readings:
Philip A. Kuhn, Rebellion and Its Enemies in Late Imperial
China: Militarization and Social
Structure, 1796-1864
(Cambridge: Harvard University
Press, 1970)
Joseph Esherick, Reform and Revolution in China: The 1911 Revolution in Hunan and Hubei
(Berkeley: University of California
Press, 1976)
Lectures &
Readings:
"Introduction"
"The Birth of
Chinese Civilization"
"The Golden Age
of Chinese Thought"
"The Ch'in and
Han Dynasties"
"The
Regeneration of the Empire"
"The Late Tang
and Sung"
Mid-term
"The Mongol
Empire"
"State and
Society under the Ming"
Traditional China at
Its Height under the Ch'ing"
"Invasion and
Rebellion in Nineteenth-Century China"
"Search for
Wealth and Power"
Review Day Paper Due
Final