History 114: China, Origins to the Ming Dynasty
UMass: Fall, 2007
Lectures: MW 11:15-12:05; Sections on Fridays
***COURSE WEBSITE on SPARK***
Professor: Sigrid Schmalzer
Office: 631 Herter Hall
Office hours: T 1:00-2:00; W 9:00-10:00; or by appt.
Email: sigrid@history.umass.edu
Teaching Assistants:
Evan Sipher, esipher@history.umass.edu
Joel Webb, jcwebb@history.umass.edu
Note: When emailing, please include "History 114" in the subject heading.
Course Description:
This class offers an interdisciplinary approach to Chinese history up through the Ming Dynasty and fulfills
general education requirements in history (HS) and global diversity (G). Topics will include archaelogical and
mythical origin stories, ancient philosophy, literature, Buddhism, political and economic change, material
culture, and historical methodology. Assignments will provide opportunities to learn and demonstrate empirical
knowledge, analytical thought, writing skills, creativity, cultural awareness, and historical empathy. No prior
exposure to Chinese history is assumed.
My goals in teaching this class are for you: 1) to be inspired to see the world a bit differently after exposure to
Chinese history and philosophy; 2) to recognize the perils of romanticizing or demonizing other cultures (in this
case, premodern China); 3) to question how we think about "China" by realizing the diverse cultures that
comprise it and the way it has changed over time; 4) to gain an understanding of the different ways historical
knowledge is produced and the different purposes to which it is put; and 5) to experience the joy of engaging
your creative and analytical abilities in the study of history.
Preparing for class and managing your time:
The expectations of this university are that you will spend approximately two hours on homework for each one
hour of class time. This is equivalent to about five hours of work outside class per week. You may find you
want or need to put in fewer hours, but please do not expect a good grade if you are not working about that
much per week. If you find you cannot complete the work in five hours or less, please come see the professor or
your teaching assistant. We will be happy to give you pointers that will help you develop efficient study habits.
Texts:
1. William Theodore de Bary et al, Sources of Chinese Tradition, 1, SECOND EDITION ONLY (Columbia
University Press, 2000). Note this is listed as Sources in the schedule below.
Available at Food for Thought, in downtown Amherst at 106 N. Pleasant St. (near CVS). Do not fear:
we will only be reading selections of this enormous book. Nonetheless, it's cheaper to buy the book than
to pay to copy selections in a course packet. You may want to copy the sections we read out of the book
so that you don't have to lug the book to class each week.
2. Jacques Gernet, Daily Life in China on the Eve of the Mongol Invasion, 1250-1276 (Stanford University
Press, 1962).
Also available at Food for Thought.
3. Other texts will be available on Ereserves (http://ereserves.library.umass.edu/). The password is "stories."
1
Please print the texts so that you can bring them to discussion section (see below). The library charges
only 5 cents per page for printing. This is a very good deal! The copyright charges alone for many of the
texts is 15 cents per page, so you would pay much more if we put these readings in a packet. So please
don't complain about the cost of this. Thank you!
Requirements:
The requirements for this class have been designed to provide you with many different kinds of opportunities to
develop your skills and demonstrate your knowledge. You can relax a bit knowing that if you mess up on one
you can salvage your grade with good performances in other areas.
1) Attend and participate in all discussion sections (10% of course grade). You are allowed two free absences
(no questions asked), after which you will lose half a point from your course grade for each absence no matter
what the reason. This is not a punishment; it is simply a reflection in your grade of what you have missed
through your absence. If you encounter a problem during the semester that results in your missing class and
you are concerned about the effect on your grade, please contact the TA immediately. If you desire, you may
schedule a meeting to review the material you missed and write an additional two-page essay on a question
related to the discussion.
Please bring the readings to discussion section each week. Failure to do so on a regular basis will result in a
poor section grade.
Please note: The discussion section is not a drill or review session. It is an intellectual community to which you
are expected to contribute. Your grade will reflect your contribution. If you are very shy, you may improve your
section grade by contributing your ideas to the intellectual community via SPARK (http://spark.oit.umass.edu).
You will receive credit only for comments posted twenty-four hours or more before section. This will give
people time to read and think about your comments.
2) Complete at least seven of nine ungraded assignments for discussion sections. NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS
WILL BE ACCEPTED. Half a point will be deducted from your course grade each time you fail to hand in one
of these assignments. The assignments will not be graded. As long as you demonstrate a reasonable effort, you
will receive credit for your work. The quality of your work as a whole will also be taken into account when we
calculate your section grade. If you are unable to complete an assignment on time because of a serious
emergency and you object to losing the half point, you must provide documentation.
3) In-class assignments (10% of course grade). We will occasionally have short in-class writing assignments. If
you are in class and demonstrate a reasonable effort, you will receive full credit for completing them. The goal
is to help you improve your ability to identify salient points in the lectures and take effective notes. You may
miss two (no questions asked) without any effect on your grade. After that, if you have documentation
describing a legitimate reason for your absence and you are concerned about the effect on your course grade,
you may come to office hours to review the material you missed and write a two-page essay on a question I
supply related to the subject. However, you must contact me within a week of the absence or as soon as you are
physically able.
4) "Constructing History" assignment (15% of course grade, due September 28th, 9:00 a.m.). See schedule for
details.
5) "Ancient Chinese Philosophies" quiz (7% of course grade, October 17th) and assignment (8% of course grade,
due October 19th). See schedule for details.
6) "Historical Methodology" worksheet (10% of course grade, due November 16th). See schedule for details.
2
7) Final exam (20% of course grade, December 7th)
The exam questions may be found near the bottom of the syllabus and on SPARK. Please refer to these
questions often so that you may collect evidence over the course of the semester that helps you answer
them. Note that the questions refer to an "evidence pool" that will be provided in a packet for your
reference during the exam. Throughout the semester I will post to SPARK selected pieces of evidence
recently discussed in class. This will be the SPARK evidence pool. I will then choose six pieces of
evidence for each question that will make up the "pool" that you will use during the exam. Checking
SPARK regularly for updates will help you prepare for the exam.
8) Final project (20% of course grade, due December 17th)
Students will complete a creative project that demonstrates their understanding of the significance of
material culture in the Tang, Song, or Ming dynasty. Instructions on last page of syllabus.
Policy on Late Assignments:
Late assignments place an enormous burden on the teaching assistants and professor. This policy is designed to
minimize that burden. It does not apply to the ungraded section assignments (which will not be accepted late).
1) If the teaching assistant receives the assignment after it is due but before evaluation of the
assignments begins, only one point will be deducted from the assignment for tardiness. (Note, however,
that this is one point out of only ten to twenty points, depending on the assignment. This IS a significant
deduction.)
2) If the student is unable to provide the teaching assistant with the assignment before evaluation begins,
the student will not be able to hand in the assignment until November 9th (for the constructing history
assignment and the philosophy assignment and quiz) or December 17th (for the methodology
worksheet). Unless there is a "very good reason" for the tardiness (see below), the student will receive
only 75% of the grade he or she would otherwise have received.
"Very Good Reasons" and Accommodations:
Late assignments will result in penalty unless a student has a "very good reason," for example serious illness or
death in the family. In all cases, the student must alert the section leader as soon as she or he knows that the
assignment will be late. In most cases, it will be necessary to furnish documentation.
We are happy to accommodate documented disabilities. The student must provide the professor with the
documentation and specific accommodation requests at the beginning of the semester or, for newly diagnosed
conditions, as soon as documentation is available.
Academic Honesty:
Students are responsible for knowing the university's policy on academic honesty
(http://www.umass.edu/dean_students/code_conduct/acad_honest.htm). In addition, the lecture on September
24th will be devoted entirely to discussing academic honesty and other issues related to proper use of sources.
Failure to attend this lecture will NOT be a valid excuse for not understanding our expectations with respect to
academic honesty.
It is also forbidden to use translator software when completing your assignments. Translator software does not
work very well, and it is very obvious when you have used it. You will not receive credit for your work, and we
may suspect you of and charge you with plagiarism.
Students who plagiarize or engage in other forms of cheating will receive a failing grade in the class and
possibly other consequences. Students who through their dishonesty convince the country to embark on an
illegal war will be nominated for a prestigious UMass honorary degree.
3
SCHEDULE
Introduction to the Class
Wednesday, September 5
We will review the syllabus. When you go home, please read the syllabus carefully and prepare to ask
any remaining questions on Friday.
Friday, September 7
Introductions. Talk about what you know and don't know about ancient China. Please bring the syllabus.
Monday, September 10
Introduction to Chinese history (dynasties, geography, etc.)
Unit 1: Origin Stories and the Meaning of History
Wednesday, September 12, Ancient Chinese origin stories
Friday, September 14 -- Discussion sections
Read: Sources, pp. 367-374 and 652-666. PLEASE FOCUS ESPECIALLY ON THE
FOLLOWING SELECTIONS: pp. 371-372 (beginning with "In 98 B.C.E...); pp. 656-657 (the first
two writings by Sima Guang); pp. 659-660 (selection by Lü Zuqian).
The readings are primary sources -- excerpts from ancient and medieval Chinese historians'
writings. PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING THEM TO SECTION!
Write:
Write one to two pages (double-spaced) explaining how one or more of these writers (be specific)
appear to have understood the practice of writing history and their roles as historians. How is this
similar to or different from the way you understand history and historians' roles? (Ungraded
assignment)
Monday, September 17, Modern Chinese origin stories
Wednesday, September 19, Movie: Mysterious Mummies
Friday, September 21 -- Discussion sections
Read: The readings for today consist of a number of short examples of what I'm calling "origin stories."
On ereserves: 1) Sima Qian's "The Five Emperors"; 2) “The Canon of Yao" and "The Canon of
Shun" (selections); 3) Fang Qie, Sons and Daughters of the Chinese People (selection); and 4)
Chia Lan-po, The Cave Home of Peking Man (selection).
On the web: http://travelchinaguide.com/intro/history (first paragraph only)
Write:
1-2 pages comparing the political uses of one or more of the Chinese origins stories we've read
with the political uses of an origin story from another society (e.g. the Biblical origin story, the
story of the origin of the American nation, etc.)
Monday, September 24, The Rights and Responsibilities of the Historian
Wednesday, September 26, Shang and Zhou History
Read: Sources, pp. 3-7, 14-20
4
Friday, September 28 -- Discussion sections
Assignment: "Constructing History" (15% of final grade)
Read the selection posted on SPARK. Write 3-4 pages answering the following questions: What
is significant about the kinds of sources it uses and how it presents them? In what ways is it
similar to or different from the other origin stories we have examined in class? What does the
author seem to want the readers to learn about China and about history?
UNIT 2: PHILOSOPHY
Monday, October 1, Confucius
Wednesday, October 3, Mozi
Friday, October 5 -- Discussion sections
Read: Sources, pp. 41-76
Write: Choose at least two themes (discussed in lecture) for each philosopher. For each theme, find at
least one passage in the reading that reflects the theme. Please choose passages other than those we
covered in lecture! Write a sentence or two explaining what the passage says about the theme. (The
more you do, the more feedback you will receive.)
Themes for Confucius and Confucianism: learning, the past/the ancients, the noble person,
humaneness, ritual/rites/ceremony, filial piety
Themes for Mozi: Heaven, universal love/concern for all, meritocracy, identifying with the
superior, utilitarianism, logic, the past/ancients
Monday, October 8 HOLIDAY
Tuesday, October 9 (MONDAY SCHEDULE), Zhuangzi and Laozi
Wednesday, October 10, Mencius and Xunzi (please bring your book)
Friday, October 12 -- Discussion sections
Read:
Mencius: the following SELECTIONS from Sources pp. 124-158: 1B:6, 2A:6, 3A:3. 3A:4,
4A:5, 6A:2, 6B:2.
Xunzi: Sources pp. 174-177, 179-183.
Laozi: Sources pp. 79-94.
Zhuangzi: Sources, pp. 100-101 ("Saying is not blowing breath"...), pp. 103-104 ("Your life has
a limit"...), pp. 109-110 ("Master Si, Master Yu"...), and pp. 110-111 ("Yan Hui said, 'I'm
improving!'"...)
AND Tsai, Chih-huang, Zhuangzi Speaks: The Music of Nature (selections of comic
book, Ereserves)
Write: Choose at least one theme (discussed in lecture) for each philosopher. For each theme, find at
least one passage in the reading that reflects the theme. Please choose passages other than those we
covered in lecture! Write a sentence or two explaining what the passage says about the theme. (The
more you do, the more feedback you will receive.)
5
Themes for Mencius: human nature, social equality/inequality, the relationship between ruler and
minister
Themes for Xunzi: human nature, social equality/inequality, ritual/rites
Themes for Zhuangzi: Relativism, skepticism about language and formal knowledge, value of
uselessness
Themes for Laozi: skepticism about language and formal knowledge, reversals and opposites,
skepticism about social values and hierarchies, anarchism vs. statecraft
Monday, October 15, Han Fei and Sunzi (please bring your book)
Read: Sources pp. 190-192, 199-206, 213-223
Themes for legalists (Han Feizi): the past/ancients, humaneness, filial piety, human equality and
inequality, social values and hierarchies, law, the role of the ruler
Themes for militarists (Sunzi): destruction, reversals and opposites, cosmology and patterning
Wed, October 17, Quiz (7%) Come prepared to identify passages from the readings. You should be able to
match philosophers with the passages they wrote and explain the significance of each passage to the philosopher
who wrote it.
Friday, October 19 -- Discussion sections
Assignment (8%): Choose one or more (but don't overdo it!) of the following things (not
necessarily found in your readings or discussed in class): Pig, lake, belt, cart, rice, hatchet, stars,
feet, wolf, roof, robe, bowl.
Imagine yourself as one of the philosophers we have studied and write a brief statement (one to
two paragraphs -- approximately half a page, but quality is much more important than quantity)
about human nature, society, Heaven, or some other relevant topic using the term as a metaphor.
Make sure to write in the style of the philosopher you choose. Do this for TWO philosophers
(4% for each). Further instructions will be posted on the course website.
IN SECTION: Presidential debates and election. Think about how your favorite philosopher
would approach key issues in our society (war, education, law, etc.) and be prepared to articulate
these positions in a mock debate.
UNIT 3: HISTORY AND HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY
Monday, October 22, Qin dynasty
Wednesday, October 24, Han dynasty
Friday, October 26 -- Discussion sections
Read: Sources pp. 227-234, 292-297, 302-305, 311-318, 358-366
6
Write: 1-2 pages on a specific example from the reading that shows how Han dynasty writers used and
transformed ideas from the past.
Monday, October 29, Han Dynasty, cont. and Introduction of Buddhism
Wednesday, October 31, Period of Disunity: Disunity and Diversity
Friday, November 2 -- Discussion sections
Read:
Sources: 415-432; Ereserves: Northern and Southern Yuefu from Owen.
Write:
1-2 pages on cultural diversity as it appears in these readings. How do the readings on the Han
Synthesis, Buddhism, and Disunity demonstrate intellectual, cultural, and/or ethnic diversity in
Chinese history? Does this change the way we think about "China"?
Monday, November 5, Tang Dynasty
Wednesday, November 7, Issues in historical methodology (prepare for Nov. 9 and Nov. 16 assignment)
Friday, November 9 Discussion sections
Read:
Ereserves: Schafer's Golden Peaches: 7-39; Schafer's Vermillion Bird: 1-2, 248-265.
Write:
In answer to one of the following questions, write a historical argument (1-2 sentences) about the
Tang dynasty and note three pieces of evidence about material culture from the readings that
support the argument (include page numbers).
1. How did people in the Tang dynasty view foreign cultures? (Be specific as to whether
you're talking about cultures to the west, to the south, or both.)
2. How did foreign cultures transform "China" in the Tang dynasty? (Again, be specific
with respect to cultures to the west and to the south.)
3. What was the role of merchants in the Tang, and how was this different from previous
dynasties?
**** MAKE-UP DATE: last chance to submit constructing history and philosophy assignments****
Monday, November 12, HOLIDAY
Wednesday, November 14, Tang Dynasty, cont.
Friday, November 16 -- Discussion sections
Read:
Ebrey's "Introduction" to The Inner Quarters (1-20, on ereserves); Gernet's "Introduction" to
Daily Life in China (book).
Assignment due: "Historical Methodology" (10% of course grade)
Complete a worksheet (handed out in class the previous week) based on the readings for this
week.
Monday, November 19, Song Dynasty I
7
Wednesday, November 21, Song Dynasty II
Monday, November 26, Mongols
Wednesday, November 28, Mongols film
Friday, November 30 -- Discussion sections
Read: Gernet's "City" and "Housing, Clothing, Cooking" (book)
Write: In preparation for your final project, write 1-2 pages on the following questions: 1) What does a
study of material culture add to our understanding of history? 2) What are some of the different ways
history can be presented (in books, films, museum exhibits, etc.), and what role does material culture
play in these media?
Monday, December 3, Early Ming dynasty
Wednesday, December 5, Review
Friday, December 7 -- Discussion sections – Exam (20% of course grade)
See below, and see especially SPARK.
Monday, December 10, Late Ming dynasty
Wednesday, December 12
Read: Ming story: "The Pearl-Sewn Shirt" (Ereserves)
Come to class prepared to write one paragraph in response to the following questions. What do the
people in the story think about married women having sex with men who are not their husbands? And
what do they think about women having sex with each other? Was this a greater or lesser breach of
social norms? Is this surprising? How might you explain these attitudes given what you know about
traditional Chinese priorities?
Please also be prepared to discuss other aspects of the story you found interesting.
Friday, December 14
Submit: a draft of the final project form available on SPARK. While you fill out TA evaluations, your
TA will quickly review the forms and identify any problems. If there are problems with your approach,
you should stay to go over them with the TA so that you have a chance to fix them before the project is
due.
Monday, December 17 FINAL PROJECT DUE (20%)
8
FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
Answer each question in the form of an argument (i.e., a thesis statement, or your own strongly expressed
interpretation with which someone else could potentially agree). Each argument must be supported by four
pieces of historical evidence. At the exam, you will be given six pieces of evidence for each question. All of the
pieces of evidence will come from the "evidence pool" on SPARK to which I will be steadily adding material
throughout the semester (check the Final Project folder on SPARK often!). You must choose at least three of
these pieces to support your argument. For the fourth, you may use another of the six pieces provided or
substitute another example that you remember from the readings or lectures.
For each piece of evidence, you must note the dynasty or period from which it came and any other information
about it that is important for understanding its significance.
Then for each piece of evidence, explain how it supports your argument. (In a few cases you may instead want
to explain why even though it appears to undermine your argument it should not be taken too seriously).
(The instructions posted to SPARK include a mock-up of what the final exam will actually look like. Please
review this so that you don't waste time during the exam figuring out the format.)
Part 1 CHOOSE EITHER A OR B!
A. People often say that in premodern history China was an inward-looking country, uninterested in
foreign peoples except to the extent that they recognized the superiority of China and paid tribute to the
Chinese emperors. Given what you have learned in this class, is this an accurate characterization of
premodern China's relationship with foreign cultures? If yes, why? If no, how would you characterize
premodern China's relationship with foreign cultures?
B. One common idea is that Chinese history, especially compared with European history, was for a long
time relatively static. In other words, the centuries went by and Chinese society, politics, economics,
culture, etc. changed very little. Given what you have learned in this class, do you agree with this? If
yes, what explains this extraordinary continuity? If no, what do you see as a good example of how China
changed over the centuries?
Part 2 CHOOSE EITHER A OR B!
A. For a long time, modern scholars looked back on Chinese history and emphasized how severely
Chinese women were oppressed. More recently, scholars have emphasized instead women's agency in
history. How would you characterize women's experiences in premodern Chinese history?
B. Premodern Chinese political culture is often said to have been a highly authoritarian one which
required people to obey those above them and discouraged people from voicing dissenting opinions. Do
you agree with this? Why or why not?
9
FINAL PROJECT DIRECTIONS
Based on the Schafer, Gernet, or "Pearl-Sewn Shirt" readings, choose one of the following options. Note
that no matter which option you choose, you must find a way to cite the specific pages from which you draw
your information. You will be evaluated on how well you demonstrate knowledge of the material culture of the
period you choose, on how effectively you illustrate larger historical themes, and on the overall effort you put
into the final product. Especially motivated students may choose to consult outside readings, but in this
case you must first meet with me to discuss your sources and how you plan to use them.
1) Imagine you are producing a play or movie about Tang, Song, or Ming China. Provide a brief (one
paragraph) description of the play or movie. Then describe in detail one or more of the sets that will be
used. Explain how the materials you include will be used by the characters and what significance they
have with respect to larger historical themes (3-5 pages total).
2) Write a short story about someone in Tang, Song, or Ming China, paying special attention to material
culture and making clear how it relates to larger historical themes. (3-5 pages)
3) Draw, paint, sculpt, or otherwise construct a scene or scenes from Tang, Song, or Ming China,
focusing on material culture. Provide a description of the scene or scenes, highlighting the significance
of the material culture depicted and the larger historical themes.
10