History 435: History of Modern China
Prof. Dodgen
Spring 2007
This course examines the history of China from around 1500 to the
present. In that time period, China has gone from great empire to feeble semicolony and back to major world power. This cycle of decline and resurgence has
taken a terrible toll on the world’s most populous nation. Today, China stands
ready to move into a dominant role in world affairs but its recent economic
success also places it on the brink of environmental disaster. There can be little
question that the experiences of the last four centuries will serve to shape China’s
contemporary policy. We will explore China’s recent history and try to
understand the legacy of the past and the fears and hopes that underlay China’s
long and difficult struggle to become “modern.”
Readings: There are five required books for the course:
Patricia Ebrey, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China.
Randall Dodgen, Controlling the Dragon.
Shen Fu, Six Records of a Floating Life.
Ning Lao Taitai, A Daughter of Han.
Chen and Wu, Will the Boat Sink the Water?
In addition, many sources can be found at web sites linked to the Internet East
Asian History Sourcebook at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/eastasiasbook.html
Grading: Grades will be based upon two short- and long-answer essay exams and
a 10-12 page, typed, double-spaced research paper on some aspect of Chinese
history since 1600. The research paper will follow the Chicago Manual of Style
and be properly footnoted. Students are responsible for any additional
assignments made in class, as well as for any announced changes to this syllabus.
My office is Stevenson 2066. Office hours are Monday and Wednesday, 9:3011:00 and by appointment. My extension is 42462, you can reach me by e-mail at
dodgen@sonoma.edu .
Weekly Topics and Reading Assignments:
1/29-31.
Introduction.
2/5-7. Monday, Film: Monday, Film: “The Genius of China.”
Readings: CIH, chapter 9, 220-234; Six Records of a Floating Life,
Introduction and part I.
2/12-14.
Shadows on the Moon: The decline of the Ming (13681644) dynasty.
Readings: Cambridge Illustrated History (CIH), chapter 8, Six
Records, part II-III.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/1372mingmanf.html
2/21.
of China
From horseback to dragon throne: The Manchu conquest
2/26-28
Qing”
Kangxi, Yongzheng and the foundations of the “High
Readings: Six Records, part IV.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1715chineserites.html
Readings: Controlling the Dragon, Introduction and chapter 1.
Wednesday, Six Records, discussion.
3/5-7. "Objects strange and ingenious": Managing barbarian
commerce
Smoke and silver: opium and the collapse of the Canton
system
Readings: Controlling the Dragon, chapters 3-4.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1839lin2.html
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1842canton.html
3/12-14.
history
Millenarian nightmares: The greatest civil war in world
Readings: Controlling the Dragon, chapter 6 and Conclusion.
Discussion Wednesday.
3/19-21.
Self-Strengthening and self-delusion
Readings: CIH, chapter 9, 240-246; Daughter of Han, "Prologue"
and chapters 1-4.
3/26-28.
Review and Mid-term Exam
4/2-4.
Prelude to collapse: The “100 days” and the Boxers
Readings: CIH, chapter 9, 246-258; Daughter of Han, chapters 510.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/headland-courtlife.html
on Guangxu (Kuanghsu) as a reformer.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1900Fei-boxers.html
4/9-11. SPRING BREAK
4/16-18.
21.
Revolution takes root
Readings: CIH chapter 10, 262-267; Daughter of Han, chapters 11Tyrants and warlords
Readings: CIH, chapter 10, 267-272. Discussion of Daughter of
Han.
4/23-25.
May 4th, 1919
Readings; CIH, chapter 10, 272-283.
The Soviet experiment and its failure
4/30-5/2
Communists and nationalists at war
Readings: CIH, chapter 10, 283-293; ; Will the Boat Sink the
Water?, ix-62.
Film: "China in Revolution: The Battle For Survival."
5/7-9.
state
The People stand up: early successes of the Communist
Readings: CIH, chapter 11, 294-308; Will the Boat Sink the Water?,
65-129.
Red, redder, reddest: the fracturing of Communist
consensus
Readings: CIH chapter 11, 308-321; Film: "The Mao Years," pt. 1.
http://art-bin.com/art/omaotoc.html
5/14-16.
Catching mice: the temptation and the trap
Readings: CIH, chapter 11, 321-336; Will the Boat Sink the Water?,
133-219, discussion.
Review for Final Exam, Research Paper Due 5/16
Study terms for History of Modern China, Exam I:
1. Nurgaci
2. Lin Zexu
12. Banner system
13. Tributary state
3. Treaty of Nerchinsk
4. Koxinga
5. Kangxi
6. “Squeeze”
7. jinshi
8. Cohong
9. Eunuchs
10. British East India Co.
11. “Rites” Controversy
14. Three feudatories
15. Qianlong
16. Hong Taiji
17. Sub-bureaucracy
18. White Lotus
19. Secret memorials
20. Grand Canal
21. Adam Schall von Bell
22. Foot binding
Study terms for History of Modern China, Exam II
1. Gang of Four
2. Tiananmen
3. Zunyi
4. Sun Yatsen
5. Wei Jingsheng
6. Peng Dehuai
7. “Hai Rui Dismissed from Office”
8. Four Modernizations
9. guanxi
10. Jiang Qing
11. Chen Duxiu
12. Lu Xun
13. Zhou Enlai
14. New Life Movement
15. May 4th Movement
16. Revolutionary Brigades
17. Blue Shirts
18. Revolutionary Rebels
19. “Old Feudal”
20. Rectification Campaign
21. Zhou Enlai
22. dazibao
23. Liu Shaoqi
24. Hu Shi
25. New Youth
26. Deng Xiaoping