Asian Languages & Civilization 368 - The Frontier Regions in Chinese History

(Offered as HIST 368 and ASLC 368) This class examines the role of various frontier regions and borderlands in the making of Chinese history, with a particular focus on the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), a period that shaped modern China’s territory.  Ever since ancient times, the development of agricultural communities, dynastic states, and Sinitic cultures in China has been deeply intertwined with those of societies on its borders, such as Mongolia, Manchuria, Xinjiang, Tibet, Taiwan, and the mountainous southwestern regions. In this course, we will read both classic and cutting-edge scholarship on China’s frontier regions and critically engage several major historiographical issues in Chinese history, including empire-building, frontier expansion, borderland society, cross-cultural trade, environmental change, the construction of ethnicity, and Chinese nationalism. At the end of the course, students will not only learn about the history of China’s frontier regions but also gain deep insights into China’s persistent problems in its borderland areas. Some knowledge of Chinese history and culture is helpful, but not necessary, to do well in this course. Meets once weekly.

Fall semester. Professor Qiao.

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Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Close analysis of historical evidence, which may include written documents, images, music, films, or statistics from the historical period under study. Exploration of scholarly, methodological, and theoretical debates about historical topics. Extensive reading, varying forms of written work, and intensive in-class discussions.