Keri Manning
The Silk Roads
NEH Summer
Institute 2010
University of HawaiiManoa
Revisions and Innovations:
•HIST 315: History Topics: The Silk Roads
•HIST 219: Early East Asia
•HIST 220: Modern East Asia
•Future research project
HIST 315: The Silk Roads
BEFORE
Required Texts:
•The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia,
Frances Wood
•Life Along the Silk Road, Susan Whitfield
•Religions Along the Silk Road, Richard Foltz
•Various handouts
Course Description:
This course will examine the economic, cultural, religious, and
biological nexus through Central Asia known as the Silk Road.
The Silk Road has never been just one route, however, but
many and in fact, it was not until the nineteenth century that
scholars even termed this network “the Silk Road” and begin to
analyze its significance for world history. Because the Silk
Roads are an area where many cultures met, the history of this
region is quite complex, and cannot be understood without
some familiarity with Greco-Roman, Chinese, Indian, and
Islamic history as well as an appreciation for the native and
often nomadic peoples of the region. In terms of time, this
course will cover the Silk Road from the classical age until the
early twentieth century, placing special emphasis on the
particularly dynamic era between 500 and 1000 CE.
AFTER
Required Texts:
•The Silk Road: Two Thousand Years in the Heart of Asia,
Frances Wood
•Life Along the Silk Road, Susan Whitfield
•Religions Along the Silk Road, Richard Foltz
•The Centrality of Central Asia, Andre Gunder Franck
•The Golden Peaches of Samarkand, Edward Schafer
•Khubilai Khan: His Life and Times, Morris Rossabi
•When China Ruled the Seas, Louise Levathes
•The Monkey and the Monk: An Abridgement of The Journey
to the West, Anthony Yu, ed.
•Pdf versions of various readings
Course Description:
This course will examine the economic, cultural, and religious
nexus known as the Silk Roads. The Silk Roads have never
been just one route, however, but many. These routes
connected the Mediterranean world, Central Asia, Southeast
Asia, and East Asia via land as well as sea. In fact, it was not
until the nineteenth century that Europeans termed this
network “the Silk Road” and begin to analyze its significance
for world history. Because the Silk Roads are an area where
many cultures met, the histories of these regions are quite
complex, and cannot be understood without some familiarity
with Greco-Roman, Chinese, Indian, and Islamic history as
well the histories of the native, often nomadic peoples of the
region, including Uighurs and Mongols. In terms of time, this
course will commence in the classical age and end in the
early twentieth century.
HIST 315: The Silk Roads, Topical Outlines
BEFORE
AFTER
•Introduction: What is the Silk Road?
•Defining the Silk Road
•The peoples of Central Asia
•China’s View of the World
•The items of trade
•Buddhism along the Silk Road
•Nestorian Christianity and Manichaeism
•Silk Road Travel
•Introduction: What are the Silk Roads?
•Defining the Silk Roads
• Geography
•History
•The peoples of Central Asia
•Xiongnu
•Sogdians
•Han China and the World
•Zhang Qian
•Alexander the Great
•Kushan Empire
•Southeast Asian Trade
•Maritime (Belitung)
•Land routes
•Buddhism along the Silk Road
•Xuanzang
•Ennin
•Dunhuang
•Nestorian Christianity and Manichaeism
•Silk Road Travel
•Life Along the Silk Road
•Xuanzang
HIST 315: The Silk Roads, Topical Outlines
BEFORE
AFTER
•The Mongol Period
•Marco Polo
•Islam and the Silk Road
•Europeans and the Silk Road: Exploration
and Excavation
•The Silk Road in the 20th Century
•The Mongol Period
•Khubilai Khan
•Marco Polo
•Tibetan Buddhism
•Tanguts
•Islam and the Silk Road
•Sufis
•Ibn Battuta
•Ming Era
•Tamerlane
•Zheng He
•Europeans, “The Great Game,” and the Silk
Road
•Nikolai Przhevalsky, Sven Hedin
•Aurel Stein
•Paul Pelliot, et al.
•Langdon Warner
•The Silk Road in the 20th Century
•Ruth Harkness
HIST 219: Early East Asia
BEFORE
Course Description:
This course will survey the history of East Asia from its earliest known
origins until the turn of the nineteenth century – literally thousands
of years of history. Because the timeline for this course is so
extensive, a detailed and thorough investigation is not possible. This
course will focus upon those institutions, traditions, philosophies, and
aspects of culture that have had the most lasting influences on East
Asian peoples in China and Japan. It will also consider contact
between these two nations and their neighbors as well as early
contacts with Europeans and Americans.
Course Outcomes:
Successful students in HIST 219 will, upon completion of the course,
be able to:

Understand the social and cultural differences between China
and Japan

Define the key philosophical and religious traditions of China
and Japan – including Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and
Shinto – and be able to contrast them

Analyze the impact of Confucianism – in its various schools of
thought – on Chinese family and government

Analyze the impact of Shinto upon the Japanese government
and people

Explain the differences in how China and Japan regarded
women and defined their roles

Note and explain the differences in Chinese and Japanese
experiences of the Mongol invasions

Note and explain the differences between Chinese and Japanese
experiences with the world beyond East Asia prior to 1800

Adhere to the guidelines of the Chicago Manual of Style or
Turabian handbook to correctly and thoroughly cite sources.
AFTER
Course Description:
This course will survey the history of East Asia from its earliest known
origins until the turn of the nineteenth century – literally thousands
of years of history. Because the timeline for this course is so
extensive, a detailed and thorough investigation is not possible. This
course will focus upon those institutions, traditions, philosophies, and
aspects of culture that have had the most lasting influences on East
Asian peoples in China and Japan. It will also consider cultural and
economic contact between these two nations in particular as well as
peoples across the Eurasian continent.
Course Outcomes:
Successful students in HIST 219 will, upon completion of the course,
be able to:

Understand the social and cultural differences between China
and Japan

Define the key philosophical and religious traditions of China
and Japan – including Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and
Shinto – and be able to contrast them

Analyze the impact of Confucianism – in its various schools of
thought – on Chinese family and government

Analyze the impact of Shinto upon the Japanese government
and people

Explain how China and Japan regarded women and defined
their roles

Trace the various travel and trade routes routinely referred to
as the “Silk Roads” and assess the impact of these contacts upon
Japan, China, and the peoples of Central Asia and Europe

Note and explain the differences in Chinese and Japanese
experiences of Mongol expansion

Note and explain the differences between Chinese and Japanese
experiences with the world beyond East Asia prior to 1800

Adhere to the guidelines of the Chicago Manual of Style or
Turabian handbook to correctly and thoroughly cite sources.
Significant Changes to HIST 219
•Extensive geographical knowledge – cities, rivers,
mountains of China and Central Asia
•Chinese pronunciation and character recognition
•Incorporation of running theme – “China and its
Neighbors” in lectures
•Reincorporation of the role of horses as a consistent
theme in lectures on China
•Separation of discussions on Confucianism and Daoism
•Examination of Buddhism in China through separate
discussion
•
Use of stories of the Bodhidharma
•Full use of Life Along the Silk Road, rather than excerpts
•Cut out early chapters of When China Ruled the Seas
HIST 220: Modern East Asia
BEFORE
Course Description:
This course will survey the history of East Asia from the
beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. In 1800,
China, Japan, and Korea were insular nations governed by
emperors whose claim to power came from heaven itself. Today
they are all pivotal players in world politics the ever more global
economy. This course will focus upon how those changes have
been wrought and especially on how those changes have affected
the lives of East Asian people themselves. We will also
investigate themes of revolution, resistance, gender, and contact
with the West.
Course Outcomes:
Successful students in HIST 220 will, upon completion of the
course, be able to:
•Appreciate the social and cultural differences between China,
Japan, and Korea
•Identify the challenges that faced the last dynasty of China and
reasons for its fall
•Explain the impact of Western contact on East Asia and discern
the reasons why interactions with Europeans and Americans
took such different paths in different nations
•Assess the strengths and weaknesses of competing parties of
China in the first half of the twentieth century
•Trace the economic and cultural changes in China and Japan
since 1945
•Adhere to the guidelines of the Chicago Manual of Style or
Turabian handbook to correctly and thoroughly cite sources.
AFTER
Course Description:
This course will survey the history of East Asia from the beginning
of the nineteenth century to the present. In 1800, China, Japan,
and Korea were governed by emperors whose claim to power
came from heaven itself. While these nations traded with one
another and neighboring Central, South, and Southeast Asian
states, relations with Europe and the America were characterized
by suspicion and defensiveness. Today , China, Japan, and Korea
have secular governments and are all pivotal players in world
politics and the ever more global economy. This course will focus
upon how those changes have been wrought and especially on
how those changes have affected the lives of East Asian people
themselves. We will also investigate themes of revolution,
resistance, gender, and globalization.
Course Outcomes:
Successful students in HIST 220 will, upon completion of the
course, be able to:
•Appreciate the social and cultural differences between China,
Japan, and Korea
•Identify the challenges that faced the last dynasty of China and
reasons for its fall
•Explain the impact of imperial contact on East Asia and discern
the reasons why interactions with Europeans and Americans took
such different paths in different nations
•Assess the strengths and weaknesses of competing parties of
China in the first half of the twentieth century
•Trace the economic and cultural changes in China and Japan
since 1945
•Anticipate the international roles that the nations of East Asia
will play in the 21st Century
•Adhere to the guidelines of the Chicago Manual of Style or
Turabian handbook to correctly and thoroughly cite sources.
Significant Changes to HIST 220
•Extensive geographical knowledge – cities, rivers,
mountains of China and Central Asia
•Chinese pronunciation and character recognition
•Introduction of Confucianism
•Incorporate readings and discussion on the expeditions
of Sven Hedin, Aurel Stein, and other significant
European travelers of the late 19th and early 20th century
•Explore Dunhuang Project, British Museum
•Exploration or Exploitation?
•Who owns the artifacts of history?
•Debate term “Silk Road,” coined in this era
•Examination of Central Asian peoples, especially those
of contemporary political significance, such as Uighurs
and Tibetans
Significant Changes to HIST 220
•Analyze the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer
Olympics (directed by Zhang Yimou) as a cultivated
projection of China’s self-image
•Consider the role of pandas in 20th and 21st century
China as a symbol and metaphor in foreign relations
Future Research Project: The Panda Road?
•The Roosevelt Brothers
•Ruth Harkness
•War and Revolution
•Pandas in the Cold War
•Nixon’s Pandas
•Scientific exchange