19th-Century China: Violence and Transformation

3 units

This course traces the history of China over the course of the 19th century, with an emphasis on social and cultural history. This was one of the most tumultuous centuries in Chinese history, during which China faced threats from abroad in the form of Western and Japanese imperialism as well as from within in the form of environmental degradation and rebellions resulting in an unprecedented loss of human life. The 19th century has thus often been portrayed as a period of sharp decline for China. At the same time, we will explore the ways in which the origins of the dynamic society and economy found in China today -- as well as the worldwide influence of overseas Chinese -- can be traced to this century of turmoil.