Chinese Empire and Literature

This course explores ancient and modern approaches to empire and imperialism, focusing on China from the Qin (221-206 BCE) establishment of unified empire through the Qing (1644-1911 CE) confrontation with the British and other European empires. Emphasis will be placed on the relation between imperial expansion and literary production, and the role of Chinese and non-Chinese literature in representing China’s multilingual and multiethnic past. Texts include China’s most famous work of historical literature, Sima Qian’s Shiji; poems, short stories, tomb sculptures, contemporary film; as well as critical essays on empire, colonization, and cross-cultural heritage.