Students will acquire a broad understanding of China’s history over the past three centuries, with an emphasis on the last 120 years. Following a brief overview of the broad sweep of Chinese history, we will learn about China’s last dynasty, the Qing; about the rapid political, social, cultural, and economic changes that began in the mid-nineteenth century; and about the complexities and contradictions of China’s twentieth century. We will consider how modern China has been shaped both by long-range trends and by key events and individuals. In doing so, we will also question some frequent assumptions about China, its past, and its present.
