HIEA 3112
Late Imperial China
Spring Semester 2014
HIEA 3112 covers the history of China from the tenth century to the final decade of the
imperial period in the early twentieth. Although the course provides a survey of social, political,
and cultural history, emphasis is placed on the analysis of events and trends in an attempt to come
to grips with three basic questions: 1) Although the late imperial system of government along with
its basic pattern of social relationships was remarkably stable and long-lived, was it really static
and unchanging, as was so often claimed by Western observers in the 18th and 19th centuries? 2)
Given the longevity and apparent soundness of the late imperial political and social systems, how
can we account for China’s decline and weakness in the face of foreign aggression in the
nineteenth century? 3) Despite this decline, what can we identify as the most enduring features of
Chinese civilization as it developed over this millennium?
These and other questions will be considered through a look at several inter-related issues:
The philosophical foundations of state and society; the relationship between ideology and
authority; the tension between emperors and social elites; the interaction of elite and popular
culture; the influence of nomadic conquest dynasties; the role of imperial law and its practice, and
patterns of dissent and popular of rebellion. Although HIEA 3112 is the second in a two-semester
sequence on pre-twentieth century China, no previous study of Chinese history is required or
assumed.
Instructor: Mr. Reed
Office: 436 Nau Hall
Phone: 924-6399
Office Hours: Monday 11-12, Wednesday 1-3, or by appointment
Bases of Evaluation
1) Mid-term exam: Friday, March 7 (30%)
The midterm consists of one out of a choice of two essays and five out of a choice of eight
identification items. All elements of the mid-term are taken from the Study Sheet that I will
provide.
2) A five to eight page essay (double-spaced, paginated, one-inch margins) on one of several topics
to be assigned. Students wishing to pursue their own topics are encouraged to do so, but must
consult with me first. Papers will be due in class on Friday April 18. Late papers will be penalized
1/2 grade for each day late, beginning with the end of class on that day (30%).
3) Final exam: 9:00—11:00, Thursday, May 6 (40%)
The final consists of two essays and five out of eight identification items. One essay and all
identifications are drawn from material covered since the midterm. The second essay looks
at the entire period covered by the course. All elements of the final are taken from the
Study Sheet that I will provide.
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Texts
The following required texts are available in the Bookstore and on Reserve in Clemons Library
John K. Fairbank and Merle Goldman, China: A New History
Patricia Ebrey, Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook
Jonathan Spence, The Death of Woman Wang
Liu Jung-en, (translator), Six Yuan Plays
Shen Fu, Six Records of a Floating LIfe
Readings marked with an asterisk (*) are contained in a Course Reader available at The Copy
Shop on Elliewood Ave.
A Note on Honor Code Violations
Enrollment in this course is regarded as indication of your agreement to abide by the
University’s Honor Code. As a rule, I assume honesty on the part of students and encourage
anyone having trouble to come speak with me. If I find evidence of cheating on an exam or paper,
however, be assured that I will vigorously pursue the matter, with failure of the class or expulsion
from the University as the most likely outcomes.
SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND READINGS
Week One (1/13, 15, 17): Introduction and Background
Lectures:
1. Course Introduction
2. Geography, language, and variation
3. Cosmic Conceptions and the Human Realm
Readings:
Fairbank: Introduction, chapter 2
Ebrey: selection 6
Week Two (1/20, 22, 24): Traditions of Thought, Society, and Governance
Lectures:
4. Martin Luther King Day, No Class
5. The Imperial State
6. No Class
Readings:
Fairbank: chapter 3
Ebrey: selections 7, 8, 10, 15
Week Three (1/27, 29, 31): The Song Transformation
Lectures:
7. No Class
8. The Song Revolutions
9. Social and Political Transformation
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(Week Three Continued)
Readings:
Fairbank: chapter 4
Ebrey: selections 35, 40, 45
*McKnight, The Enlightened Judgments: Introduction
Week Four (2/3, 5, 7): The Emergence of Gentry Society
Lectures:
10 The Confucian Revival
11. . Kinship, Lineage and Family
12.: The Civil Service Exams and Literati Culture
Readings:
Ebrey: selections 36, 37, 45, 54, 62
*McKnight: Examinations, Brothers, Husbands and Wives, Filial Piety, Unfiliality,
Community, Clerks, Mother and Son Violating the Law and Compounding Evils
Week Five (2/10, 12, 14): Northern Conquerors
Lectures:
13. Steppe Nomads; Ecosystem, Cultures, and States
14. The Mongol Conquest
15. Mongol Rule in China: the Yuan Dynasty
Readings:
Fairbank: chapter 5
F. W. Mote: “China under Mongol Rule” (Collab)
Week Six (2/17, 19, 21): The Yuan Dynasty
Lectures:
16. Elite Responses to “Barbarian Rule”
17. Peasant Life and Urban Scenes
18. Discussion: Drama and Dissent in the Yuan
Readings:
Ebrey: selections 46, 39
Six Yuan Plays: "The Orphan of Chao," "The Injustice Done to Tou Ngo," “The Soul of
Ch’ien-nü Leaves Her Body”
Week Seven (2/24, 26, 28): The Ming Dynasty: Rise of the Autocratic State
Lectures:
19. Smugglers, Bandits, and Rebels: the Founding of the Ming
20. Early Ming Autocracy
21. Elements of Imperial Control
Readings:
Fairbank: chapter 6
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Week Eight (3/3, 5, 7): Ming Society
Lectures:
22. Popular Culture: Romantic Love and the Individual in Ming Fiction
23. Discussion: Ideology and Society under the Ming
24. Midterm Exam
Readings:
*Ma and Lau (trans): "The Pearl Shirt Re-encountered"
*Li Yu: The Carnal Prayer Mat, chapters 1 and 2
Week Nine (3/10, 12, 14): Spring Break
Week Ten (3/17, 19, 21): The Manchu Conquest
Lectures:
25. The Rise of the Manchus
26. Conquest and Consolidation
27. The Imperial Order in the High Qing
Readings:
Fairbank: chapters 7 and 8
Ebrey: selections 59, 61, 64
*Huang Liu-hung, A Complete Book Concerning Happiness and Benevolence,
Translator’s introduction
Week Eleven (3/24, 26, 28): Late Imperial Law and Society
Lectures:
28. Law and Justice
29. Judicial Theory versus Practice
30. Discussion: The Role of Law in Society
Readings:
Jonathan Spence: The Death of Woman Wang
*Huang Liu-hung: "Administration of Justice," (chuan 11 and 12)
*Wallace Johnson: The Tang Code, chapters 1 and 2
Week Twelve (3/31, 4/2, 4): Internal Pressures and External Crises
Lectures:
31. Early Western Contact & Trade: The Canton System
32. The Price of Success: Population and Economy
33. First-stage Imperialism: The Opium War and the Opening of China
Readings:
Fairbank: chapter 9
Ebrey: selection 68
*Teng and Fairbank, China's Response to the West, pages 23-28, 36
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Week Thirteen (4/7, 9, 11): Voices of Dissent: Women and Elites
Lectures:
34. Elites, Exams, and Status in the Late Qing
35. Gilded Cages and Bound Feet, Women in Late Imperial Society
36. Discussion: Status and Livelihood in the Qing
Readings:
Ebrey: selections 17, 38, 55, 56
*Wu Jingzi: The Scholars, chapters 1-3
Shen Fu: Six Records of a Floating Life
Week Fourteen (4/14, 16, 18): Voices of Dissent: Peasant Rebels
Lectures:
37. Patterns of Peasant Protest
38. Mid-century Rebellions
39. The Self-strengthening Movement (Papers Due in Class)
Readings:
Fairbank: chapters 10 and 11
Ebrey: selections 69, 70
*William T. deBary: Sources of Chinese Tradition, v. II, pages 43-51, 59-87
Week Fifteen (4/21, 23, 25): Twilight of the Imperial Order
Lectures:
40. Second- stage Imperialism: Carving the Chinese Melon
41. The Final Decade: From Reform to Revolution
42. The 1911 Revolution: The Emperor Dethroned
Readings:
Fairbank: chapter 12
Ebrey: selections 73, 75, 76
Week Sixteen (4/28): Summing Up
43. Gazing Back, Looking Forward
Final examination, Tuesday, May 6, 9:00—11:00
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