Frontiers of China, 1500-1900

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course has three main goals: to gain familiarity with the historical dynamics linking China and its frontiers, to develop advanced skills in historical research, and to design effective oral presentations of historical material. Students will explore the processes of territorial expansion that characterized the Qing period (1644–1911) and China’s subsequent transition to its modern state form, the People’s Republic of China. The course covers Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet, South China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. It is designed as an upper-level elective within the International History curriculum, where students consolidate advanced research skills, design teaching sessions, and complete three written assignments requiring them to search for, document, and present historical evidence effectively. In terms of content, the course is situated at the intersection of the late imperial period and the transition to the modern state. Students will approach this theme from the perspective of China’s frontier regions, which played a major role in shaping how the last dynasty of China, the Qing, became a modern state actor. They will examine territorial expansion, religious and political ideologies, interactions among different ethnic groups, and the ways in which diverse ecosystems shaped historical processes. Material culture will be a core component of the class, with particular emphasis on maps, paintings, and other art forms.