China and the Wider World since 1600

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Between the 17th century and the 21st century China experienced a remarkable transformation: from being an insular empire it has become a modern, rising nation-state. During this period, imperial power reached its zenith and then collapsed; whilst the trauma of foreign aggression had its counterpart in an unprecedented age of openness to the outside world. From the perspective of international history, this course explores how modern China emerged from these experiences, and sheds light on what "China" and "Chineseness" mean today.