History of East Asia I. TTh 1:30-2:50 ATG 123

Transcription

1 History of East Asia I TTh 1:30-2:50 ATG 123 Nick Kapur Office: 429 Cooper Street, Room 103 Office Hours: TTh 3-4:30pm, or by appointment nick.kapur@rutgers.edu COURSE DESCRIPTION This course examines the history of East Asia from the earliest times to roughly 1600, including social, cultural, political, and economic developments, with a focus on China, Japan, and Korea, although with reference to other regions as well. We will examine the rise and fall of various East Asian cultures, states, and dynasties, as well as the ongoing development of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cultural identities in and how these identities were variously defined over time and in opposition to other groups. We will also trace the development of East Asian philosophy, religion, literature, art, and gender norms. COURSE OBJECTIVES The primary goal of this course will be to question and critically assess common assumptions and received wisdoms about East Asian history and culture which are widespread in both the West and East Asia itself. Uncovering the diversity of East Asian cultures in premodern times will help us interrogate and reconsider received notions and modern stereotypes about Asian culture. In addition to learning the basic facts about modern East Asian history, students will be expected to critically evaluate both primary and secondary sources and to intelligently interrogate received interpretations of the past. Students will also to offer their own interpretations, both in discussions and in writing, and to defend their interpretations with evidence. REQUIREMENTS Class Attendance and Participation: 25% Attend every class on time, having carefully read the reading assigned for that class. Participate actively and enthusiastically in class discussions of readings. Ask questions whenever something is unclear. Reading Response Papers: 20% For each week, read the assigned readings and write a 1-2 page, double-spaced response paper. The topic of the response paper can be anything that comes to your mind, but must address the assigned readings, and must offer a clearly stated argument of some kind, supported by evidence drawn from the reading. These papers should NOT merely summarize the readings. You can assume that I know what is in the readings. Response papers should address non-textbook readings (i.e. readings other than Open Empire,! 1

2 A History of Korea, and Japanese Culture). You may of course make reference to the textbooks in your responses if you wish, but you should never submit a response that only discusses a textbook chapter. In total, you are asked to submit nine (9) reading response papers out of a total of 10 possible weeks with readings. Which week you choose to skip is entirely up to you. You can also submit all 10 response papers for extra credit, up to 111% (=10/9). Reading response papers are due in class, at the end of class, on the Thursday of that week, although you may also turn in papers on Mondays, if you wish (or if there is no class scheduled for Thursday). Response papers must be printed out on paper. ed response papers will not be accepted. Late response papers will receive a maximum of half credit (50%). Midterm (10/16): 10% Midterm exam may include matching, maps, short answer IDs, and/or essay questions. Essay Proposal (Due 11/13): 5% One-two page double-spaced proposal identifying who you will write about, what sources you intend to use, and briefly, what your main argument will be. Proposal must be printed out on paper. No proposals will be accepted. Biographical Essay (5~7 pages, Due 5:00 pm): 20% Choose a person (or group of people) in premodern East Asian history whose life tells us something interesting about Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or broader East Asian history from the from the earliest times to Your essay should briefly describe their life and make a clearly stated argument about what their life tells us about the past. These two aspects can be described in any order or blended together. The person need not be famous, but you need to be able to find primary or secondary sources about that person. A truly outstanding essay will make use of both primary and secondary sources. Secondary sources include books and journal articles written by professional historians or other scholars. Primary sources include diaries, letters, memoirs, official documents, and works of art or literature from the time, among other possibilities. (Please note that Wikipedia is not acceptable as a primary or secondary source, and should not be cited in your essay). Your essay will be graded on three criteria: 1) Argument, 2) Use of Sources, and 3) Style and Organization. 1) Argument You should not merely summarize the person s life. In addition, your essay must have a clearly stated argument of some kind. I should be able to easily find this argument stated within your text, clearly stated enough that I could underline it with a pen while reading. 2) Use of Sources You must cite the sources of your ideas. Any words or ideas that are not your own, even if only paraphrased, must be properly cited with a footnote or inline citation (the citation style is up to you, but be consistent). Basic facts, if widely known (i.e. you can easily find such facts in at least three (3) readily accessible secondary sources), need not be cited. An example is the birth year of a famous warlord such as Tokugawa Ieyasu. Everything else must be cited. Wherever possible, you should use quotations or paraphrases from sources, preferably primary sources, as evidence to support your main argument. 3) Style and Organization Your essay should be written in clear, lucid prose. Every sentence should serve a purpose, and that purpose should be to explain the person s life and/or support your main argument. Paragraphs should flow cleanly from one paragraph to the next and the! 2

3 reasoning behind the ordering and organization of your essay should be clear. Grammar and spelling should be flawless. Proofread, proofread, proofread before submitting! Keeping the following questions in mind may help you focus on interpretation and argument rather than simply narrative (though it is probably not appropriate or possible to answer all of these in your paper): How was your subject affected by historical events? Did he or she affect historical events in turn, and if so, how? Would your subject have described the period he or she lived through in the same way it is described in today s history books? What were your subject s religious, philosophical, and moral beliefs? How well informed was your subject about broader events beyond her or his daily life? What might your subject have known and thought about their regions government and its policies? About people in other occupations or classes? About people in other parts of East Asia? Most importantly, for what interpretations and arguments about Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or broader East Asian history can your subject s story provide supporting evidence? How much can you really know about your subject, and how can you know it? How much can you reasonably guess or assume? What else do you wish you could know, and what kinds of sources would make it possible to know it? Be sure to ask yourself how complete and objective your sources are, and to remember that what is not mentioned may be important. At all times, remember the main point of the assignment: explain what this person s life tells us about the past. If this is the focus of your introduction and conclusion, you are probably on the right track. Final Exam: 20% Final exam may include matching, maps, short answer IDs, and/or essay questions. REQUIRED TEXTS You will be responsible for securing copies of the following texts, either from the bookstore, the library, or by ordering online:! Wm. Theodore de Bary, ed., Sources of East Asian Tradition. Volume 1: Premodern Asia! Jinwung Kim, A History of Korea: From Land of the Morning Calm to States in Conflict! Valerie Hansen, The Open Empire: A History of China Through 1600! Paul Varley, Japanese Culture (4th edition)! Paul Varley, The Warriors of Japan: As Portrayed in the War Tales All other readings will be posted on the Sakai course website. COURSE OUTLINE Week 1 Introduction Lecture 1 (9/2): Course Introduction Lecture 2 (9/4): The Misty Origins of Chinese Civilization: Xia, Shang, and Zhou! 3

4 READ: Open Empire, 17-53; Sources, **no response paper due the first week** Week 2 The Emergence of Chinese Empire Lecture 2 (9/9): The Spring and Autumn Period and the Hundred Schools of thought READ: Open Empire, 55-95; Sources, 29-40, Lecture 3 (9/11): The Warring States Period and the Qin Unification READ: Open Empire, ; Sources, Week 3 The Han Dynasty and its Aftermath Lecture 4 (9/16): The Han Dynasty READ: Open Empire, ; Sources, , Lecture 5 (9/18): From Three Kingdoms to Sui READ: Open Empire, ; Sources, Week 4 The Glory of the Tang Lecture 6 (9/23): The Rise of the Tang Dynasty - READ: Open Empire, ; Sources, Lecture 7(9/25): Tang Culture: China s Golden Age READ: Open Empire, **no response paper due this week** Week 5 Early Japan and Korea Lecture 8 (9/30): Japan and Korea in Early Times READ: Varley, Japanese Culture, Ch. 1; Kim, Ch. 1; Sources, ,! 4

5 Lecture 9 (10/2): The Rise of the Three Kingdoms in Korea READ: Kim, Ch. 2-3; Sources, Week 6 The Origins of The Japanese State Lecture 10 (10/7): The Early Japanese Kingdoms READ: Sources, ; Varley, Japanese Culture, Ch. 2 Lecture 11 (10/9): The Emergence of the Imperial State READ: Bruce L. Batten, Foreign Threat and Domestic Reform ; G. Cameron Hurst, An Emperor who Ruled as Well as Reigned Week 7 Japan s Golden Age Monday 10/14: The Development of Japanese Buddhism READ: Sources, , Wednesday 10/16: Heian and Nara Japan READ : Varley, Japanese Culture, Ch. 3; Keene, Y!gao, The Pillow Book of Sei Sh!nagon, The Diary of Murasaki Shikibu Week 8 The Song Dynasty Lecture 12 (10/21): MIDTERM EXAM Lecture 13 (10/22): The Song Dynasty READ: Open Empire, **no response paper due this week** Week 9 Late Imperial China Lecture 14 (10/28): The Mongol Conquest and the Yuan Dynasty READ: Open Empire, , Source, ! 5

6 Lecture 15 (10/30): The Ming Dynasty READ: Open Empire, ; Sources, Week 10 Korea s Golden Age Lecture 16 (11/4): The Koryo Dynasty READ: Kim, Chs. 4-5; Sources, Lecture 17 (11/6): The Choson Dynasty READ: Kim, Chs. 6-7, Sources, , Week 11 The Privatization of the Japanese State Monday 11/11: From Public Land to Private Estates READ: Medieval Japan, Chs. 3 & 4 Lecture 18 (11/13): The Rise of the Warriors READ: Varley, Warriors of Japan, Ch. 2, Friday, Hired Swords, Intro & Conclusion, essay proposal **BIBLOGRAPHIC ESSAY PROPOSAL DUE IN CLASS (11/13)** Week 12 The Kamakura Era Lecture 19 (11/18): The Gempei War and the Origins of the Kamakura Shogunate READ: Varley, Warriors of Japan, Chs. 3-4 Lecture 20 (11/21): The Rise of the Hojo and the Mongol Invasions READ: Varley, The H!j! Family and Succession to Power ; Medieval Japan, Ch. 8 Week 13 The Kemmu Restoration! 6

7 Lecture 21 (11/25): Go-Daigo, Kemmu, and the Rise of the Ashikaga READ: Goble, Kenmu: Go-Daigo s Revolution, preface and ; Varley, Warriors of Japan, Ch. 5 Wednesday 11/27: Thanksgiving - NO CLASS Week 14 The Muromachi Era Lecture 22 (12/2): The Silver Age of Muromachi READ: Varley, Japanese Culture, Ch. 5 Lecture 23 (12/4): Japan Slides into Chaos: The Onin War and the Sengoku Period READ: Vershuer, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu s Foreign Policy **no response paper due this week work on biographical essay** Week 15 The Muromachi Era Lecture 24 (12/9): The Rise of the Three Unifiers and the Invasion of Korea + FINAL EXAM REVIEW READ: Sources, DUE: biographical essay BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY DUE IN HARD COPY IN CLASS ( submissions will not be accepted) **no response paper due this week** **TAKE HOME FINAL EXAM DUE VIA BY 5:00 PM, MONDAY, DECEMBER 23**! 7