HI431 Living China's History (fall 2017)

Assignments

Upcoming assignments​
Day
Week of 11/27
Week of 12/4
Tue
11/28 Introduction to The Death of Woman Wang
Grace Day: No assignment due
12/5 #507
Thu
11/30 #504
12/7 #508 End of MP2
Fri
12/1 #505
 
Sat
12/2 #506
 
Our Unit V assessment will occur during the exam slot on Sun 12/10 2:15-4:15pm in the Library Media Center. The format will be an in-class essay on The Death of Woman Wang. Please bring a charged laptop, your copy of the book, and any notes or other materials that will be helpful.

Assignments by unit
Course Introduction
Note: the first assignment (#002) is due the second day of class on Fri 9/8.

#002 Thinking about China in History

  • Read Peter Bol, “Thinking about China in History,” Harvard University (unpublished and undated) (PDF).
  • As you read, consider:
    • What does it mean to suggest that China—either in “traditional” times or today—is/was “unchanging”? What, in turn, are some reasons Peter Bol raises for doubting this assumption?​
    • Bol references Max Weber's ideas presented in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (1905) and The Religion of China (1915) to warn against establishing “false dichotomies” between East and West. What, in Bol’s view, is wrong with Weber? Identify one or two alternatives he proposes for making more productive comparisons.
    • Bol endorses Yu Yingshi’s (余英時) argument that “The concept of ‘national history’ in its current Western usage was wholly unfamiliar to Chinese historians before the 20th century.” What is the larger point he is making about the Chinese nation? Why might this argument be uncomfortable or even offensive to some readers?
    • How can ethnicity (productively) complicate our understanding of China’s past?
  • Please remember:
    • This assignment should take no more than 60 minutes. Please look over the text before you start so you can understand it and pace yourself accordingly.
    • Use your digital notebook to engage with the text.

#003 Mapping China

  • Examine Wills 11-32.
    • Before you dig too deeply into the text, glance over this loose “map” I drew up as I read the text. Consider how this might inform the way you approach your reading if you are constrained to two sessions of 60 minutes with the expectation to take notes on what you have read:
      • Introduction and context (11-15):
        • Initial introduction (11)
        • Overview of the Zhou (周) (11-13)
        • Overview of the Spring and Autumn (Chunqiu 春秋) period (13-14)
        • Sources for life of Confucius (14-15)
      • Life and ideas of Confucius (16-32)
      • Core ideas of Confucius (16-30)
      • Reflection on The Analects (Lunyu 論語) (30-31)
      • Conclusion (31-32)
    • Identify and “tag” all of the quotes Wills draws from The Analects in this chapter by using a large bracket ([) in the lefthand margin (the first of these appears on page 15 with a footnote explaining the citation system). This step will draw your attention to the reliance by Wills on this source and help with drawing evidence during our in-class discussion.
  • Aim to read Wills 11-22. End on the last full paragraph on the page (“. . . solely by the Zhou Son of Heaven”).
    • Notes:
      • The initial pages refer to Yu (禹 2280-2197 BCE), the founder of the Xia dynasty (夏 2205-1766 BCE). While Chinese tradition cites relatively precise dates, it is worth keeping in mind that no firm evidence survives to support the historical existence of either the man or his kingdom. You’ll note that chapter 1 of Wills is dedicated to Yu, though if you come across similarly unfamiliar names or events, feel free to look them up on Wikipedia or the Ford Library’s Research Tools.
      • Reference the helpful “Summary Time Line” Wills provides after the book’s Preface and the map on page 15.
      • Feel free to use Wikipedia or other reference tools that might guide your understanding.
    • As you read, consider:
      • How do we know what we know about Confucius? What sources can historians rely on and how might that shape a written narrative of his life?
      • How might Confucius’s times influenced his beliefs?
      • Compare your own life aspirations against those of Confucius. Where do you similarities? Differences?
Unit I. Finding a Path

#101 The Sage: Confucius

  • Finish reading chapter 2 of Wills.
  • Guiding questions to consider:
    • How does Confucius see the role of the state in society? What might be the advantages and disadvantages to such an approach?
    • What are the distinguishing attributes of a gentleman (junzi 君子) or proper adherence to the Way (dao 道)? Which of these appeal to you? Which do you find yourself questioning?
    • Do you see similarities between his ideas and other thinkers with whom you are familiar?
    • After reading this chapter, are you surprised that he is so revered across much of East Asia today? Why or why not?

#102 The Universalist Alternative: Mozi

#103 The Daoist Alternative: Zhuangzi

#104 Prepare for Unit 1 Assessment

  • Organize, review, and annotate Unit I readings so you can draw on them during our in-class assessment. Arrive to class with a fully charged computer.​

​#105 “Confucius Comes Home”

  • Read Evan Osnos, “Confucius Comes Home,” The New Yorker (13 January 2014) (Google Doc).
  • Consider:
    • What is China’s “spiritual void” (jingshen kongxu 精神空虛)? Based on the article, what factors may be behind it? What place does the work of Confucius play in “filling” that void?
    • To what extent are figures like Yu Dan (於丹) or the director of the Confucius Temple (孔廟) in Beijing drawing directly on what you have read of Confucius? To what extent are they responding to tradition that has accrued over many centuries? And to what extent are they inventing something new to respond to contemporary circumstances?
    • There are several points of tension within Osnos’s article. Identify and explain one of these debates.
Unit II. ​MAKING CHINA GREAT AGAIN

#201 The Martyr: Qu Yuan

  • ​Unlike most nights, I will ask you to find your own reading for this assignment. Please print out any materials you have used and write out a with a Chicago-style citation in your digital notebook (also include a URL if the material is digital). Sufficient materials should be available when searching for “Qu Yuan,” though it may help your search to know that in the older Wade-Giles transliteration, his name is spelled as “Ch'ü Yüan.” In Chinese, his name is written as 屈原.
  • During class you will have an opportunity to share, evaluate, and reflect on the materials you have collected. 

#202 The Legalists: Shang Yang and Han Feizi

  • Read Wills 38-43 (begin with the final paragraph on 38 and end after end of the story of Jing Ke's assassination attempt).
  • Read Ebrey, “Legalist Teachings,” 32-37 (PDF).
  • Consider:
    • Based on your reading of Wills, Which of the reforms initiated by Shang Yang (商鞅, referred to in Ebrey as Lord Shang) do you think were most significant? Why?
    • What do you think the stories in Wills about scandal surrounding the ascension of Qin Shihuangdi (秦始皇帝) as emperor tell us about the structure of political power in early China?
    • In “Legalist Teachings,” why does Lord Shang argue that "The wise person creates laws while the ignorant are controlled by them; the worthy alter the rites while the unworthy are held fast by them"? How might Confucius respond to Lord Shang's assertion? Which side do you find more convincing? Why?
    • Also in “Legalist Teachings,” why might political leaders have found Han Feizi (韓非子) appealing?

#203 ​The Conqueror: Qin Shihuangdi

  • Read Wills 43-50 (begin about a third of the way down the page on 43 with the paragraph that begins “Qin conquered Yan in 226 . . .”).
  • Consider:
    • How did the governance strategies that made the Qin state effective before 221 BCE continue to inform state policy after the crowning of the “First Emperor”? Do you think they helped consolidate Qin rule? Why or why not?
    • Why did the Qin dislike Confucian scholars? How did the Qin respond and what might have been the short- and long-term consequences of those actions?

#204 Legacies of Qin Shihuangdi: “Rising to Life”

#205 The World of the Han

  • Read Wills 51-61 ending at beginning of first full paragraph on page 61.
  • Note that this passage focuses more on the context of the early Han (漢) dynasty and the reestablishment of imperial rule following the fall of the Qin.
  • Consider:
    • To what extent were the ideas of the Confucians and the Legalists important in the early Han? Do you believe they were compatible? Please provide concrete examples of how these ideas informed the structure and style of Han rule.
    • After reviewing this passage, what might you argue would be the three most important factors allowing the Han dynasty to achieve relative longevity and success?

#206 The Historian: Sima Qian and the Book of History

  • Read Wills 61-71.
  • Consider:
    • How did filial piety (xiao 孝) inform the life of Sima Qian (司馬遷)? 
    • How does reading about Sima Qian help us reflect on the appropriate role of the historian?

​Assessment for Unit II (in class)

  • Organize, review, and annotate Unit II readings so you can draw on them during our in-class assessment. Arrive to class with a fully charged computer.​

#207 The Idealist: Wang Mang and the Pursuit of Confucian Perfection

  • Read Wills, 77-89 (begin with the last full paragraph on page 77 “Wang Mang rose to power as an outside relative . . .”).
  • Consider:
    • What was unusual about Wang Mang’s rise to power?
    • Why might Wang Mang be considered a “Confucian idealist”? What policies did he adopt that might fit this description?
    • What factors led to Wang Mang’s demise? What are some lessons future rulers might have taken from his story?
Unit III. ​“THE EMPIRE, LONG DIVIDED, MUST UNITE; LONG UNITED, MUST DIVIDE”

#301 Three Kingdoms: History and literature

  • Listen to BBC Radio 4, In Our Time, “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” 27 Jun 2013 (42 minutes).
  • As you listen, note:
    • What do we learn from the podcast about the historical setting of:
      • The novel during the Three Kingdoms period (三國時代 220–280 CE)?
      • The author’s life in the fourteenth century during the transition from the Yuan (元 1271–1368) to the Ming (明 1368–1644) dynasties?
    • What is the relationship, according to these scholars, between the novel and history?
    • How has the popularity of the novel been reflected in popular culture over time?

​​#302 Three Kingdoms: Zhuge Liang and the bromance of the Three Kingdoms

  • Read Wills, 100-113.
  • As you read, consider:
    • Who are the main characters in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguo yanyi 三國演義)? Be sure to underline their names when you come across them and note their position and special characteristics.
    • Why do you think Zhuge Liang (諸葛亮, known as Kongming 孔明 in the novel) is cited by so many as a favorite character from the novel?
    • Where are the points in the story as relayed by Wills that seem to contain the clearest and most verifiable historical details?

​​#303 Three Kingdoms project work

  • Review the relevant summary in Wills (all group members).
  • Consider dividing the following tasks, one for each group member:
    • Read the translation from Roberts. The group member responsible for this task should print, read, and annotate the text. They should arrive in class ready to suggest particular lines or moments in the story that would be useful for the short dramatization your group will undertake.
    • Listen to relevant podcast episode. The group member responsible for this task should listen to the linked podcast episode (in the case of the Red Cliff team, two episodes) and take notes on important points from the episode. They should arrive in class ready to suggest particular lines or moments in the story that would be useful for the short dramatization your group will undertake. This task may be somewhat less time consuming than the other two tasks, so the team member responsible might start working on some other aspects of the project and/or take on more work to prepare for the presentation itself.
    • Find at least two—more if possible—ways the scene has been reflected in elite and/or popular culture in the centuries since the novel first appeared. The group member responsible for this task should locate and “curate” the materials they find, meaning these materials should be ready to understand ​

​​#304 Three Kingdoms project presentations

  • Your group should be ready to present their work to the class tomorrow (Friday). Please review the project sheet carefully so you have a clear understanding of the tasks and expectations.
Unit IV. Gendered Narratives of The Golden Age

#401 World of the Tang and Song

  • Read “Empress Wu” in Wills 127-136 (end before the last paragraph on the page ( . . . but it is not clear how much effect they had.)
  • As you read, consider:
    • What attributes mark the Tang (唐, 618-907) period as a “golden age” to those who look back on it?
    • Based on your reading of this chapter, what might have been some of the expectations of women within the imperial court? How did Wu Zhao (武曌) flout these expectations?
    • Identify some of the events in the first half of the chapter that might have been used to discredit Wu Zhao. What might be possible sources for these claims? How might you evaluate them as a historian? (We will most likely not take up this last question until Friday’s class).

#402 The “Evil” Empress: Wu Zhao

  • Read “Empress Wu” in Wills 136-148 (begin with the last paragraph on the page “Thus by 674 the empress was building a substantial . . .”)
  • As you read, consider:
    • How might you measure Wu Zhao’s accomplishments in relation to policy? What initiatives were effective? Which might be counted against her legacy?
    • Continue looking out for events in the second half of the chapter that might have been used to discredit Wu Zhao. What might be possible sources for these claims? How might you evaluate them as a historian? (Be sure to connect this back to your notes from Thursday’s class).
    • Compare and contrast the expectations of male rulers with those of Wu Zhao.

#403 The Tragic Beauty: Yang Guifei

#404 The “Scholar and Beauty” Trope: Yingying’s Story

Thu 10/26: Final project preparation (part 1)

  • Confirm who you will be preparing your final project about. As a default, the character who you will investigate for your project will be the same as your presentation. Doing so will allow you to have each assignment inform the other. If you would like to switch your character, please reach out to Mr. Hall in person or by email.
  • Once you have confirmed your character, do a couple if initial search to identify the resources you have immediately available to you through the library catalogue (bearcat.hotchkiss.org). Run each search and do not worry how many—or how few—results you get the first time through. Please copy out the results into a Google Doc:
    • Character name (multiple variations): For Yang Guifei, you will also want to search “Yang Kuei-fei,” “Yang Yuhuan,” “Lady Yang.” (Do note that Victor Mair’s Chinese Lives features a series of very brief biographies. It is useful as a reference but not for research).
    • Associated names. Again, for Yang Guifei, you will want to look up “Tang Xuanzong” and “An Lushan.”
    • Contextual terms. Also, look up terms related to the dynasty (e.g. “Tang”), events (“An Lushan Rebellion”), location (“Chang’an”), and common themes (“concubine”).
  • Locate one general survey book that might contain your character in its index.

#405 ​The Poets: Li Bai and Du Fu

#406 The Gentleman: Su Dongpo

  • Read “Su Dongpo,” in Wills, 149 and 152-67. On 149, read just the first paragraph. Then on 152, begin with the last paragraph on the page that begins “In the 990s the Song armies . . . .”

Tue 10/31 Assessment for Unit IV

  • Organize, review, and annotate Unit IV readings so you can draw on them during our in-class assessment. Arrive to class with a fully charged computer.​
Unit V. Late Imperial China

#501 The Transcendentalist: Wang Yangming

  • Read Wills, "Wang Yangming," 201-215.
  • As you read, consider:
    • According to Wills, what were some of the important reasons the Ming state (1368–1644) differed from that of the Song (960–1279)?
    • How did Wang Yangming's approach differ from that of leading "Neo-Confucians" of his day who followed the teachings of figures like Zhu Xi (朱熹, 1130–1200)? Which approach resonates more with you?
    • What were the consequences of Wang Yangming's heterodoxy? Why might it be surprising that Wang Yangming is frequently promoted to day by Party Secretary Xi Jinping?

#502 The Pirate: Zheng Chenggong

  • Read Wills, "Zheng Chenggong," 216-230.
  • As you read, consider:
    • What are some of the most important changes shaping Zheng Chenggong's world? How are these patterns like -- and unlike -- others that we have seen before?
    • Pay close attention to the events of 1661–62. While discussed only briefly in Wills, why might these events hold world-historical significance?
    • Reflect on the memory of "Coxinga" examined at the end of the chapter. What role do prominent "losers" play in historical memory? Can you think of any similar figure from your own cultural context?

#503 The Death of Woman Wang

  • No homework due Tuesday 11/28.

#504 "The Observers" 

  • Read chapter 1, "The Observers" (1-32)​. An outline of the first chapter highlighting the three main sources introduced in the chapter can be found on the in-class page for #503. See also, the glossary.
  • As you read, consider:
    • Are there any terms, patterns, or people you recognize from our earlier readings? For example, look out for mention of the chin-shih (PY: jinshi 進士) degree on page 2.
    • Spence suggests that the “whole cult of state Confucianism must have seemed remote to most of the people of [Tancheng]” (Spence, 16). Why? What might they rejected or found irrelevant, for example, of the Kangxi emperor’s “Sacred Edict”? What, aside from Confucianism, guided their ways of believing and acting?
    • How would you characterize Huang Liuhong’s attitude toward ordinary people under charge?
    • What are some aspects of local life we learn from Pu Songling’s accounts that we would probably be missing if we were to rely on officials like Feng and Huang?
  • ​Please remember to bring your copy of The Death of Woman Wang ​to class tomorrow and each day until winter break.

#505 "The Land"

  • Read Spence, 33-39, 44-58 (selections from chapter 2, “The Land”).
  • Chapter overview (see also, the glossary):
    • Challenge: The unforgiving land meets a demanding state:
      • Background on the challenges of agricultural life, 33-36
      • Taxes, mutual responsibility, and the baojia (WG pao-chia 保甲) system, 36-39. Note that while Spence continues this discussion in some depth, I encourage you to skip forward to page 44.
      • Commoners face coercion and deception, 44-48
    • Response: Can officials respond and adapt?
      • Huang Liuhong pleads with the city god 49-50.
      • Pu Songling’s tale of Xiao Er (WG: Hsiao-erh), the satirical heroine who exposes official ineptness, 50-56.
      • Huang fails to catch tax-cheat Liu Tingyuan (WG: Liu T’ing-yüan), 56-58.
  • As you read, consider:
    • What were some of the notable local conditions that might have impacted life in Tanchang? How might locals been more or less vulnerable to the demands of the state or environmental conditions? Can you think of places where this might be similarly true today?
    • In 1965, British historian AJP Taylor observed that, “Until August 1914 a sensible, law-abiding Englishman could pass through life and hardly notice the existence of the state, beyond the post office and the policeman” (Taylor, 1). How might you modify this statement if you were writing about a farmer in Tancheng in the 1670s?

#506 "The Widow"

  • Read Spence, chapter 3, “The Widow”
  • Chapter overview (see also, the glossary):
    • Introducing the idea of model widows, 59-60.
    • Pu Songling’s fictional accounts of widows:
      • the old spinning woman, 60-61.
      • then the tale of the widow Hsi-liu (PY: Xiliu 細柳) struggling to raise her stepson Ch’ang-fu (PY: Changfu) and son Ch’ang-hu (PY: Changhu), 62-70.
    • True account of the Ch’en (PY: Chen) clan bullying Woman P’eng (PY: Peng), 72-76.
  • As you read, consider:
    • Spence suggests that the case of the widow Hsi-liu was one of “tangled tensions between compassion, discipline, and the misguided but still potent force of public opinion” (70). Can you explain what he means in this analysis?
    • What role did the law serve in the case of Woman P’eng? Did the laws provide incentives for moral behavior? Do you feel she was she treated justly by the end of the story?
    • What common threads to you see in the experiences of Hsi-liu and Woman P’eng? Do any of the shorter examples, Woman Fan (60), the old spinning woman (60-61), Woman Wu (70), Woman An (70), and Woman Kao (71-72), either build on or provide different insight into the condition of widows?

#507 “The Feud”

  • Read Spence, selections from chapter 4, “The Feud”: 77-79, 89-98.
  • ​Read Spence, selections from chapter 5, “The Woman Who Ran Away,” 99-116.
  • Reading overview (see also, glossary):
    • Chapter 4, “The Feud”:
      • Account of Pu Songling’s childhood, 77-79.
      • Skip the story of Ts’ui Meng (PY: Cui Meng), 79-89.
      • ​​Magistrate Huang Liuhong intervenes in the case of the outlaw Wang family, 89-98.
    • ​Chapter 5, “The Woman Who Ran Away”:
      • We prepare for the climax of the book by returning our focus again to the life of women in Tancheng. The chapter begins with background blended with a mix of the real and imagined, 99-107.
      • Spence then shares two somewhat longer accounts from Pu Songling. First, we meet the privileged Nan Sanfu and Tou Tingzhang (WG: Tou T’ing-chang), the inn-keeper’s daughter. Spence suggests that the account shows “how sexual deference could kill the weaker party,” 107-09.
      • Second, he recounts a revenge fantasy featuring Cui Xian (WG: Ts’ui‑hsien), 109-16.
  • As you read, consider:
    • Compare Huang Liuhong’s handling of the outlaw Wang family with the earlier account of the tax-evading Liu Tingyuan (56-58)? Taken together, what picture is emerging of how Huang approaches the task of magistrate?
    • ​Consider the cases of Tou Tingzhang and Woman Peng (who bullied by the Chen family in the last chapter, 72-76). Would you consider either/both of them victims?
    • What parts of Cui Xian’s revenge tale seem realistic? Which parts might be farfetched?

#508 “The Woman Who Ran Away”

  • Read Spence, selections from chapter 5, “The Woman Who Ran Away,” 116-32.
  • ​Read Spence, “Epilogue: The Trial,” 133-39.​
  • Reading overview (see also, glossary):
    • We finally meet Woman Wang, her husband Ren (WG: Jen), her escape from home, and the circumstances of her death. This is the subject of the remainder of chapter 5, “The Woman Who Ran Away,” 116-132.
    • The short epilogue accounts the trial, 133-139.
  • As you read, consider:
    • What were the consequences for adultery? How does that compare with the way such behavior is treated in the society in which you are most familiar? What are some of the factors that might account for the similarities or differences?
    • Return to the question we discussed in our last class: Was Woman Wang a victim? Is Chloe’s suggestion that personal choice separated the experiences of Tou Tingzhang and Woman Peng helpful for making sense of the experience of Woman Wang?
    • Evaluate Magistrate Huang’s handling of the trial. Do you agree with his conclusion? Why or why not?​