HIST 283(F) Barbarians in the Middle Kingdom: China to 1850*

This course will explore the history of early Imperial China through an investigation of so-called barbarian incursions into China proper. Among other topics, we will study Buddhism's penetration of China during the 4th-9th centuries and beyond; the arrival of the Mongol Hordes, led by Ghengis and then Khubilai Khan; attitudes towards overseas exploration and migration in the early and late Ming and early Qing dynasties; and finally the arrival of the "foreign devils" (Europeans) in China. The course will offer an overview of early Imperial China as well as an investigation of what it meant to be "Chinese" during that era. Evaluation will be based on class participation, three short papers and a self-scheduled final exam. Groups C and D

Hour: REEVES