This course traces the history of China from ancient times to the present. It briefly introduces the emergence of a distinct Chinese civilization, in thought, culture, and political structure. It then considers how China was transformed by the introduction of Buddhism and the experience of cosmopolitan empire under the Tang. Next it examines how China fared in the multi-state system that endured from 960 to the Mongol conquest, and then as the Late Imperial state under the Ming and 'foreign' Manchu rule. It considers the search for 'new China' in the Republican, Warlord, and Nationalist periods following the collapse of the Late Imperial state. It shows why Mao came to represent a new utopian vision and how that vision tragically failed. Finally, the course explores how the search for 'new China' and historical legitimacy continues today both on the mainland and in Taiwan.
