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Asian History Courses
114 East Asia Before 1800. (4)
A survey of East Asia-including China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam-from ancient times to the dawn of the modern era. Explores the building blocks of East Asian civilization and analyzes the changes set in motion by the region’s contact with the West between 1600 and 1800. Every year.
115 East Asia Since 1800. (4)
A survey of continuity and change in the modern transformation of China (including the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan), Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Examines each country’s role in the other’s development; the impact of Western imperialism on the “modernization” of the region since 1800; and the implications of the “Asian Century.” Every year.
116 South Asia Before 1500. (4)
A survey of the history of South Asia (the Indian subcontinent) from ancient times to 1700 CE. Course focuses on topics such as the role of religions in South Asian societies, including Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, as well as other religious traditions. Forms of government, changing socio-economic formations, and art, literature, and culture will also be explored. Where appropriate, course will address the similarities and differences between South Asian development and that of the other regions in the world.
117 South Asia After 1500. (4)
This class will trace the history of South Asia (the Indian subcontinent) from the decline of the Mughal Empire, through the rise and decline of the British Empire, and to the perod of independent nation-states. Important themes include the development of international trading networks, the effects of colonial ideology in the British context, and the lives of every-day people in South Asia during this period. We will explore the ways in which concepts of religion, gender, nationhood, and identity evolved and changed during this time.
315 History of Islam in South Asia: Confronting Modernity. (4)
This class explores the rich history of the expansion and growth of Islam in the Indian subcontinent. We will take account of the role of trade and conquest in the early centuries of Islamic expansion and study the development of specifically Indian forms of Islam. The nature and impact of the Indo-Islamic empires on Indian society will be examined, as will the interaction of Muslims with non-Muslim communities in the medieval and early modern eras. The period of British colonial rule, and an analysis of the specific historical contexts that gave rise to religious nationalist movements, and how these developed according to changing relationships to national liberation movements, secularism, state administrative systems, global economic shifts, and changing social demands. Over the course of the semester we will strive to view the history of Islam and Muslim societies in both highly specific contexts and broader histroical milieus.
316 China in Revolution, 1800-1949. (4)
An analysis of China’s transformation from Middle Kingdom to People’s Republic. Explores traditional China’s decline amid rebellion and the Opium Wars with the West; efforts to combat dynastic decay, famine, poverty, foreign domination, warlords and Japanese invasion; U.S.-China Relations; and Communism’s victory in 1949. Alternate years.
317 The People’s Republic of China. (4)
An analysis of China’s socialist revolution since 1949. Explores the rise of Communism in China; the China of Mao, Deng, Jiang, and Hu; and U.S.-China relations since 1972. Previews the integration of the PRC, Hong Kong and Taiwan into a post-communist “Greater China” during the current “Asian Century.” Alternate years.
318 U.S. and China: 1800-Present. (4)
This course compares and contrasts developments within the United States and China during the years 1800-present, seeing the impact on their relationship over the past 200 years. The emphasis is on cultural, political and economic factors and how and why they cause ups and downs in the relations between these two nations. Time-wise, most focus is on the past century, the 1890s through the 1900s—but looking to the future as well. Alternate years.
319 Modern Japan, 1868-Present. (4)
A study of Japan’s transformation from feudal mosaic to economic superpower. Analyzes the “modernization” process set in motion by the Meiji Restoration of 1868; the impact of its Asian neighbors and the West on Japan’s economic and military rise; and U.S.-Japan relations since WWII. Examines Japan’s role in the current “Asian Century.” Alternate years.