2022/2023
History of China
Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'
Type:
Minor
Delivered by:
School of International Affairs
When:
1, 2 module
Open to:
students of all HSE University campuses
Language:
English
ECTS credits:
5
Contact hours:
60
Course Syllabus
Abstract
‘History of China’ is the first course of the ‘History of East Asia’ minor. It covers the events starting from the early periods of Chinese history to the Xinhai Revolution of 1911. Subsequent developments in late modern and contemporary Chinese history will be covered during the second year of the minor.
The course starts off with ancient China and its impact on East Asia and proceeds with addressing each dynasty of Chinese history all the way through to the Qing Empire and China's encounter with the West which manifested itself in the form of the Opium Wars.
It places a particular emphasis on modernity in China and concentrates on the following topics: Ming-Qing transition, domestic and foreign policy, intellectual and material developments; causes, consequences and legacies of the Taiping Rebellion and Dungan Revolt; the Boxer Rebellion; the First Sino-Japanese War and its repercussions.
The Xinhai Revolution and the fall of the Qing is the final topic of this part of the course. Both external and internal factors leading to the disintegration of the Empire are assessed from various perspectives.
Learning Objectives
- – The course aims to help students gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Chinese history from ancient times until the early 20th century.
- – The course enables students to identify unique characteristics of different eras in Chinese history, analyze and compare the stages of the rise and decline of the Chinese state and articulate the factors contributing to these changes.
- – The course concentrates on the major events and features of the main social, public and political institutions in different periods of Chinese history until the early 20th century.
Expected Learning Outcomes
- Students learn about relevant contexts enabling them to understand the meaning behind historical facts of certain periods in the history of China.
- Students characterize and explain the logic of the events within each Chinese dynasty.
- Students understand the specifics of social, political and economic development during certain periods.
- Students analyze the features of foreign policy of certain dynasties.
- Students gain knowledge of the political, socio-economic and cultural processes that took place in certain eras.
- Students explain the positions of Chinese and Western historiography approaches to interpretation of the key events in Chinese history.
- Students study the reasons for the shift between dynastic cycles and understands causes and consequences of these shifts.
- Students interpret the origins and nature of contemporary issues using the historical-comparative method.
Course Contents
- 1. Ancient China: from the origins of civilization to state building
- 2. The Eastern Zhou, 770 – 221 BC
- 3. The Philosophers of the Eastern Zhou
- 4. The Qin and Han Empires, 221 BC– 220 AD
- 5. The Six Dynasties, 220–589 AD
- 6. Sui and Tang China, 589–906
- 7. Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, The Song Dynasty, 907–1279
- 8. Alien Regimes and Border States, 907–1368
- 9. The Yuan Dynasty, 1271–1368
- 10. The Ming Dynasty, 1368–1644
- 11. Early Qing Empire, to 1800
- 12. Late Qing Empire (1800–1911): foreign relations
- 13. Late Qing Empire (1800–1911):domestic issues
- 14. The Fall of the Qing Dynasty and the Xinhai Revolution
Interim Assessment
- 2022/2023 2nd module0.1 * Attendance + 0.25 * Essay + 0.15 * Report + 0.15 * Participation in discussions + 0.35 * Exam (test)
Bibliography
Recommended Core Bibliography
- A history of East Asia : from the origins of civilization to the twenty-first century, Holcombe, C., 2011
- An economic history of modern China, Chai, J. C. H., 2011
- Herodotus and Sima Qian : the first great historians of Greece and China: a brief history with documents, Martin, T. R., 2010
Recommended Additional Bibliography
- The Cambridge illustrated history of China, Ebrey, P. B., 2010
- The economic history of China : from antiquity to the ninteenth century, Glahn von, R., 2016