This course is intended to introduce students to major issues in Chinese history from ancient times to the Chinese Revolution of 1949, with a specific focus on issues relating to race and ethnicity. In this connection, we investigate three problems:

1. China is often seen as a racially, ethnically, and culturally homogeneous society, but what is China and (Han) Chinese?
2. To what extent was the direction of Chinese civilization driven by contact with ethnic, religious, and cultural others? What role did ethnic, religious, and cultural conflict play in producing Chinese identity?
3. How did China transition from a multi-ethnic empire to a modern nation-state? To what extent was the creation of modern China a product of racial and ethnic strife?

Readings and lectures will give equal weight to political and social developments, as well as to intellectual, religious, and cultural forces. There are no books or coursepacks for this course; all readings will be available through Canvas.

Course Requirements:

Course assignments will not only include reading primary and secondary literature (entirely in English), but also require students to analyze visual sources.

1. Active attendance and participation in section (Note: more than 5 unexcused absences will result in an automatic failure of the course); 10% of the total grade.
2. Section assignments due each week (10%);
3. One creative project (20%);
4. 3 short papers (60%).

Class Format:

Two 90-minute lectures in addition to 1-hour discussion section weekly