THE HISTORY OF EAST ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS TO 1600
Douglas Howland
Office: Holton 330 (Hours: T 1:00-2:00)
Phone: 229-5518
Email: dhowland@uwm.edu
HIST 175-201 (#52164)
Autumn Semester 2014
ONLINE Course
This course surveys key developments in the history of civilizations in East Asia, with a primary
emphasis on China and Japan. By 1000 B.C.E., China had developed a “feudal” monarchy that
slowly devolved into a “Warring States Period,” which saw the rise of Confucius and other
political philosophers who debated the best course of action to take in restoring social and
political stability. The result was the establishment of the Chinese empire in 221 B.C.E., a
political structure that endured--despite several serious interruptions--until 1911 C.E., making it
the most successful political form in human history. Meanwhile, the islands of Japan began to
borrow Chinese civilization in the 300s C. E., by way of the kingdoms in Korea, and created
their version of an imperial government in the 700s C.E. The imperial court in Heian (today
Kyōtō) dominated Japanese culture until its aristocracy was displaced by the warrior class in the
late 1100s, a group who rose to power from their position as rural guards of the aristocratic
estates. Like their aristocratic forebears, the warrior governors of Japan never fully established a
central government; and worse, their habits of warfare produced a protracted civil war from the
1450s until 1603.
As in any history course, much of our work here will include the reading and analysis of texts,
and the interpreting of texts as an exercise in writing, with an emphasis on essay form and the
adequate use of evidence to support our interpretations. Because this is an introductory
undergraduate class, our primary goals are to develop a familiarity with trends in Chinese and
Japanese history; to develop some familiarity with Chinese and Japanese historiography; and to
develop our skills of analyzing primary and secondary sources. This, as I said, requires careful
reading, thinking, and writing.
Course Readings:
1. Patricia Ebrey and Anne Walthall, Pre-Modern East Asia to 1800: A Cultural, Social, and
Political History, 3d. ed. (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2013) (ISBN: 1-133-60651-2).
<Note: The 2d. ed. is acceptable too, and you may be able to obtain a used copy that will
be cheaper: (Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2009). (ISBN: 0547-00539-3).>
2. Cyril Birch, ed. Anthology of Chinese Literature -- from early times to the fourteenth century.
NY: Grove Press, 1988. (ISBN: 0-8021-5038-1).
3. Murasaki Shikibu. The Tale of Genji, trans. and abridged by Edward G. Seidensticker. NY:
Vintage, 1985. (ISBN: 0679-72953-4).
These books are available for purchase at the UWM Bookstore in the Union. Get them as soon as
possible so that you do not fall behind with the readings. You may find that used copies are
available more cheaply through an online seller.
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
1. D2L. Most of the course materials, including lectures and readings, will be accessible
through the course D2L website. You must have access to a reliable computer and a high-speed
internet connection to take this online course (a broadband connection such as Roadrunner or
DSL, or a campus network connection to the web). If you do not have this at home, you can use
computers on campus or in public libraries. You will upload your papers to the “Dropbox” on
the D2L website, and quizzes, exams, and online discussions will also take place over D2L. You
can access D2L by going to the UWM homepage (http://www4.uwm.edu) and in the quick links
at the top of the page select D2L and then click “go.” This takes you to the login screen where
you will be asked to provide your Panther ID and password (these are the same as your UWM
email username and password). As an alternative, go to the login page with the direct address
for D2L: (https://uwm.courses.wisconsin.edu/). On the login page, notice the “For Students”
link that offers several help files for dealing with various aspects of D2L. These help documents
are indeed very helpful, so keep them in mind if you ever get stuck. If you need further
assistance, contact the Information Management and Technology (IMT) Help Desk (open 24
hours per day, 7 days per week). You can visit the Help Desk in person at EMS E173A, call
414-229-4040 (toll free at 1-877-381-3459), or send an email to help@uwm.edu. Keep in mind
that the personnel at the Help Desk are more knowledgeable about computers than the
professor, so please turn to them for technical advice.
Note that in a standard history course, I would meet with you in a room two times a week, where
I would present lectures and ask questions, and you would take quizzes and exams. This class is
different in that we will never meet together in the same room or any place other than the “virtual
space” of the internet. The portal to that space is the course website on D2L. An online course
means that you have a greater responsibility to take charge of your own learning: It is up to you
to make sure that you devote adequate time to read, analyze, and understand the course materials.
An online class also means that you will be doing a lot of reading, because almost all of the
content (except films) will be delivered via written text.
NOTE: a computer glitch, a lost file, or any other technical problem is not an excuse for
turning work in late or not at all.
2. READINGS. Because the readings are the centerpiece of the course, and because they will
inform your writing, quizzes, and discussions, you must do the readings promptly in preparation
for the week’s work. Readings for the week are to be completed by Monday of the week. By
“read,” I mean critically read: this means more than a cursory examination of words on the page.
You should be reading for the author’s argument, for a sense of context for the pages read, for an
awareness of how one reading relates to our other readings, and for the ability to share your
reactions with your colleagues.
If you have a question about the course or any of the course material—readings, discussion
questions, or something regarding the quizzes or essays—I ask you to post that question to our
“Questions” discussion forum instead of emailing it to me. In that way, all of the students can
benefit from seeing the question and my answer. If you have a question about something, I am
confident that someone else in the class has the same question.
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3. DISCUSSIONS. You will be asked to participate in five online discussions during the
semester. The dates for these discussions and projects are listed in the schedule below. You will
be divided randomly into groups and asked to respond both to specific questions that I prepare
and to your classmates’ responses. You will be graded on your thoughtfulness, clarity, and the
degree to which you are able to integrate class readings and materials. In order to receive the
maximum grade, you must cite specific readings (and films). See the additional handout on “D2L
Discussion Guidelines” on the “Content” page of our course website. (20% of your final
grade)
4. QUIZZES. There will be three quizzes in the course, the dates for which are in the schedule
below. These will examine your grasp of the content of the course--geography, concepts,
institutions, texts, and events--and will be based entirely on the course readings and films. I
might ask you questions about the arguments put forward in the readings; for example: What is
“The Announcement of Shao”? Or I may ask you to identify, to the best of your ability, a
passage excerpted from one of the readings--what is it? Who might have written it? To what
social or political issue does it speak? Or, I may ask you an open-ended interpretive question
that asks you to locate the document outside of its specific and internal logic and arguments--to
what historical development does it speak? (20% of your final grade)
5. OCCASIONAL WRITING. There will be three short (2- to 3-page) writing assignments
during the course, the dates for which are in the schedule below. These include both interpretive
pieces, which ask you to interpret primary sources, and historiographical pieces, which ask you
to examine secondary sources. That is to say, these “essays” will ask you to synthesize themes
and common points in a set of documents so as to describe some general issue(s) or point(s) in
common. Or they may ask you to “condense” an argument, as when I ask you to tell me the
thesis (the main point) of some author’s work. Instructions for using the “Dropbox” function
within D2L are posted under D2L “Content” and “Instructions for Paper Submissions.” NOTE:
To be officially turned in, your work must be submitted to the D2L Dropbox. If you send your
work to me directly as an e-mail attachment, it is not “turned in,” because I cannot submit your
work to D2L on your behalf. (20% of your final grade)
Keep in mind that in grading writing, I consider four factors: the quality of your thesis
(major point); the quality of your argument (a structure of paragraphs, each of which makes a
point); the accuracy and quality of your evidence; and the quality of your writing (grammar,
punctuation, and diction). Thus an excellent essay (for the grade of A) will include the
following: (1) a clearly stated theme or issue at the beginning, in an introductory sentence or
paragraph (often this introduction will contain your thesis); (2) a clearly developed argument in
one or more paragraphs, each of which specifies the issue of the paragraph and the point of the
paragraph, and expresses the relation of the paragraph to the other paragraphs in the essay; (3)
evidence gathered from the readings, either quoted or paraphrased (and footnoted), which
supports the points of your paragraphs and the thesis of your essay; (4) a concluding statement
that “wraps up,” so to speak, your essay, in a final sentence or paragraph (sometimes this
conclusion will contain your thesis); and (5) flawless footnotes and punctuation, and ideally no
grammatical or typing errors. A good (grade-B) essay will be missing one or two of these five
qualities; an average (grade-C) essay will be missing a few of these qualities; but average essays
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generally err with qualities (2) and (3). A poor (grade-D) essay will be missing several of these
qualities; and an unacceptable (grade-F) essay will be missing many of these qualities.
6. MID-TERM AND FINAL EXAMS. There will be both a mid-term and a final exam during
the course. The purpose of the exams is to test your skills with reading primary sources, and to
synthesize and integrate your analyses of the course materials--some combination of short
answer and short essay. Specific guidelines will be given in due course out of consideration for
student preparation. (2 x 20% of your final grade = 40%)
Form:
•The "Chicago style" is our guide to all matters of format (e.g., footnotes / endnotes and
bibliography); purchase or refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (13th edition) or Kate L.
Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (6th edition). There
is also a short guide to Chicago style available in the “Syllabus” materials for the course.
•All writing that is submitted in this course must be submitted in standard 12-point (elite) font.
Anything in smaller fonts will be considered late work. (N. B. You are looking at elite type:
nothing smaller than this.) I do not accept written assignments by fax or e-mail—see the “Note”
above at No. 5, “Occasional Writing.”
•Let it be known that in the event of plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty in this
course, my policy is to fail the offending student(s). If you are unsure as to the nature of
plagiarism, consult your current student handbook. Allowing someone to copy your work is as
reprehensible as copying yourself: both parties will fail the course.
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University Policies:
Students with disabilities. Verification of disability, class standards, the policy on the use of
alternate materials and test accommodations can be found at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/DSAD/SAC/SACltr.pdf
Religious observances. Policies regarding accommodations for absences due to religious
observance are found at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S1.5.htm
Students called to active military duty. Accommodations for absences due to call-up of reserves
to active military duty should be noted.
http://www3.uwm.edu/des/web/registration/militarycallup.cfm
Incompletes. The conditions for awarding an incomplete to graduate and undergraduate students
can be found at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S31.pdf
Discriminatory conduct (such as sexual harassment). Definitions of discrimination. Harassment,
abuse of power, and the reporting requirements of discriminatory conduct are found at the
following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S47.pdf
Academic misconduct. Policies for addressing students cheating on exams or plagiarism can be
found at the following:
http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm
Complaint procedures. Students may direct complaints to the head of the academic unit or
department in which the complaint occurs. If the complaint allegedly violates a specific
university policy, it may be directed to the head of the department or academic unit in which the
complaint occurred or to the appropriate university office responsible for enforcing the policy.
Grade appeal procedures. Procedures for student grade appeal appear at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S28.htm
Final examination policy. Policies regarding final examinations can be found at the following:
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/acad%2Badmin_policies/S22.html
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Schedule of Topics and Readings
Unit I. The Formation of a Chinese Civilization
Week 1 (Tuesday, 9/2 to Friday, 9/5): The Beginnings of Civilization in China
Look over the D2L course website and see the Week 1 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia: To 1800, 1-35 [2d. ed.: 1-34]
Week 2 (Monday, 9/8 to Friday, 9/12): The Zhou Period and Place of Confucius
Look at the Week 2 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: **The Analects, 59-75 (Books 1-4); and **Mencius, 49-59 (Book 1, Part A)
Group Discussion #1
[N.B. Readings marked with a double asterisk (**) are in D2L “Content”; see p. 8 below.]
Week 3 (Monday, 9/15 to Friday, 9/19): Daoism and Legalism
Look at the Week 3 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: **“Metaphysics and Government in the Laozi,” in Sources of Chinese
Tradition, 2nd. ed., vol. 1: 77-94; and
**“Legalists,” in Sources of Chinese Tradition, 2nd. ed., vol. 1: 190-212
Essay #1 due
Week 4 (Monday, 9/22 to Friday, 9/26): The Rise of Qin (Ch’in) and the Chinese Empire
Look at the Week 4 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 36-55 [2d. ed.: 35-54]
Watch the two film excerpts: (1) “Terracotta Warriors” and (2) “Qin Shi Huangdi”
Quiz #1
Week 5 (Monday, 9/29 to Friday, 10/3): Imperial Chinese Ideology: History and Poetry
Look at the Week 5 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Birch, Anthology, 95-102, 106-118, 123-133 (History); and
Birch, Anthology, 3-29 (Poetry)
Group Discussion #2
Week 6 (Monday, 10/6 to Friday, 10/10):
a. The Introduction of Buddhism to China and Japan
Look at the Week 6 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 56-74 [2d. ed.: 55-73]; and Birch, Anthology, 167-168
b. Developments in Tang China
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 75-92 [2d. ed.: 74-91]; and
Birch, Anthology, 250-53, 255-57, 266-69; 288-322
Quiz #2
Week 7 (Monday, 10/13 to Friday, 10/17): The Extension of Chinese Culture to Korea
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 93-113, 169-182 [2d. ed.: 94-113, 167-179]
Midterm Examination
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Unit II. The Formation of a Japanese Civilization
Week 8 (Monday, 10/20 to Friday, 10/24): Japan’s Setting and Culture of Myth
Look at the Week 8 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 114-128 [2d. ed.: 114-127]
Watch the film excerpt: “Shintō”
Readings: Murasaki, Tale of Genji, 3-106
Week 9 (Monday, 10/27 to Friday, 10/31): The Creation of an Imperial State in Japan
Look at the Week 9 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 148-161 [2d. ed.: 147-159]; and
Murasaki, Tale of Genji, 107-185, 186-278
Group Discussion #3
Week 10 (Monday, 11/3 to Friday, 11/7): Heian Japan and The Tale of Genji
Look at the Week 10 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Murasaki, Tale of Genji, 279-360
Essay #2 due
Week 11 (Monday, 11/10 to Friday, 11/14): The Rise of the Samurai in Japan
Look at the Week 11 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 183-197, 212-226 [2d. ed.: 180-193, 206-220]; and
**The Tale of the Heike, 283-324
Group Discussion #4
Week 12 (Monday, 11/17 to Friday, 11/21): Samurai culture: The No Theatre
Look at the Week 12 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: **Waley, The No Plays of Japan, 36-44, 89-99
Watch the film excerpt: “Daimyo”
Quiz #3
Unit III. The Advanced Chinese Empire
a. The Song Dynasty in China—and Interactions with Border Peoples
Look at the Week 13 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 129-147 [2d. ed.: 128-146], Birch, Anthology, 370-380
Week 13 (Monday, 11/24 to Tuesday, 11/25):
b. The Mongols in China
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 162-168, 198-210 [2d. ed.: 160-166, 194-204]
Watch the film excerpt: “The Genius that was China”
**Thanksgiving Break (November 26-30)**
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Week 14 (Monday, 12/1 to Friday, 12/5):
c. The Dynamics of Empire in China: Government and Economy
Look at the Week 14 “Notes for Reading”
Readings: Pre-Modern East Asia, 227-246 [2d. ed.: 221-239]
Essay #3
Week 15 (Monday, 12/8 to Thursday, 12/11):
d. The Dynamics of Empire in China: Society and Culture in the Ming
Readings: Birch, Anthology, 422-448
Group Discussion #5
The Final Exam will be scheduled during the week of December 15. Instructions to follow.
**ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
The readings marked with a double asterisk (**) are available to download at our D2L
course site. The readings are as follows, and note well the footnote form:
Confucianism (for Week 2) Books I, II, III, and IV:
Confucius, The Analects, trans. D.C. Lau (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1979), pp. 59-75.
Mencius (for Week 2) Book I, Part A:
Mencius, Mencius, trans. D. C. Lau (Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1979), 49-59.
Daoism (for Week 3):
“Metaphysics and Government in the Laozi,” in Sources of Chinese Tradition, comp. Wm.
Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom, 2nd. ed. (NY: Columbia University Press, 1999), vol. 1, pp.
77-94.
Legalism (for Week 3):
“Legalists,” in Sources of Chinese Tradition, comp. Wm. Theodore de Bary and Irene Bloom,
2nd. ed. (NY: Columbia University Press, 1999), vol. 1, pp. 190-212.
Samurai Culture, The Heike Monogatari (for Week 11):
The Tale of the Heike, trans. Helen Craig McCullough (Stanford: Stanford University Press,
1988), pp. 283-324.
Samurai Culture, The No Theatre (for Week 12):
Seami, “Atsumori” and “Kagekiyo,” in Arthur Waley, The No Plays of Japan (Rutland, VT:
Tuttle, 1976), pp. 36-44, 89-99 respectively.
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