This course covers the Ming and Qing Dynasties, roughly the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. We will focus on the interplay between inner Asian 'barbarians' and the Chinese, as well as on the economic and political flourishing of the 18th century before turning to the turmoil of the Opium War and Taiping Rebellion eras between 1839 and 1865. We will also examine the difficulties that China faced in reform and modernization in the face of Western and Japanese imperialism at the end of the 19th century. We end with the Boxer Uprising and 1911 Revolution, which brought an end to China’s last imperial dynasty.

CILO-1: Examine the difficulties that China faced in reform and modernization in the face of Western and Japanese imperialism at the end of the 19th century. CILO-2: Research a self-selected topic under the supervision of the instructor. CILO-3: Engage with the current scholarship on Ming-Qing China.