10742 The Rise and Fall of the Chinese Empire

Credits: 6 intermediate credits in Ancient History or in Medieval History or in Modern History

Prerequisites: none

Authors: Yitzhak Shichor, Yuri Pines, Gideon Shelach, Michal Biran, Asaf Goldschmidt, Gil Raz, Meir Shahar.

The course provides a foundation for understanding the rise of modern China and the character of the Chinese revolution. It surveys the growth and development of the Chinese Empire from the beginning of civilization in the eastern part of the Asian continent to the fall of the last imperial Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty, in 1912, providing students with a comprehensive view of the historical, cultural, social and political development of pre-modern China. The course also familiarizes students with the basic characteristics of Chinese culture, historical development processes, social and political institutions, religion and philosophy and its place in the pre-modern world.

Topics: Origins of the Chinese Empire – from pre-history to history: consolidation of Chinese identity, from disintegration to centralization: consolidation of the Chinese Empire, the Hundred Schools and formation of Chinese thought; Early Imperial China – the Han Dynasty, from fragmentation to unification, the Tang Dynasty, Chinese Buddhism; The Late Chinese Empire – the Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty and its precursors, the Ming Dynasty, the Qing Dynasty at its peak, the end of the imperial age. The materials include a reader with articles that deal with the late Chinese empire (up to 1912).