Brief |
China does not exist apart from the world, and never has in the history. This course approaches Chinese history as though what shaped that history lay as much outside the zone called China as within it. We will examine what went on in China during these millennia, but we will spend as much time exploring what went out outside—among its immediate neighbors in East Asia, the entire Eurasian continent, the so-called “West,” even the globe itself—and consider the powerful impact that China’s interaction with the outside world has had on its historical path. This course is designed to teach students the brief ideology, events, institutional system, famous figures, texts related to ancient Chinese history, and train students’ ability to draw lessons from the Chinese experience. Students are supposed to be able to provide clear analysis of Chinese history in an English environment. Students need not have prior knowledge of Chinese history, but should master enough of China’s historical record to be able to grasp its global context. |
