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Module Catalogue

HI112-30 Mongols, Ming and Manchu: China, 1500-1800

Department
History
Level
Undergraduate Level 1
Module leader
Anne Gerritsen
Credit value
30
Module duration
22 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry

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Introductory description

This module aims to offer an introductory overview of one of the greatest early modern empires: China between 1500 and 1800. The module covers the Ming and Qing dynasties, with themes like politics and imperial power, economics and trade; social topics like medicine, gender and social mobility, and cultural topics like art and material culture.

Module web page

Module aims

  • To familiarise students with the history of one of the great early modern empires.
  • To help students to understand the history of the Chinese empire through a variety of disciplinary approaches, including literature, anthropology, art, material culture and food.
  • To help students see how the history of China forms part of a globally connected world.
  • To bring new scholarship into the discussions and debates about the Chinese empire.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Term 1

  1. Space
  2. Time
  3. Han and non-Han
  4. Gender
  5. Court culture
  6. Reading Week (no classes)
  7. Scholars and bureaucrats
  8. Artisans and things
  9. Merchants
  10. Religion

Term 2

  1. Tribute and trade
  2. The Manchu threat
  3. The Ming-Qing transition
  4. Christianity
  5. Foreign visitors
  6. Reading Week (no classes)
  7. Gender in Qing China
  8. Kangxi and science
  9. Writing women in Qing China
  10. Qianlong: the power of collecting

Term 3

  1. Medicine
  2. Macartney Mission

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Gain a broad understanding of Chinese history, both on its own terms and in connection to the other histories the students are presented with in the first year.
  • Identify some of the enduring debates in the study of the Chinese empire, such as the relationship between Han and non-Han population, the role of women, the engagement with the steppe threat, the role of merchants, and the relationship between the culture of the court and the daily experience in the provinces.
  • Identify and engage with a range of visual, material and textual primary sources.
  • Gain interpersonal and communication skills through the delivery of a presentation.
  • Devise well-defined essay topics, collect relevant data from a variety of sources and present results in an effective fashion.

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Specific reading list for the module

Subject specific skills

See learning outcomes.

Transferable skills

See learning outcomes.

Study time

Type Required
Lectures 20 sessions of 1 hour (7%)
Seminars 20 sessions of 1 hour (7%)
Tutorials 1 session of 2 hours (1%)
Private study 258 hours (86%)
Total 300 hours

Private study description

History modules require students to undertake extensive independent research and reading to prepare for seminars and assessments. As a rough guide, students will be expected to read and prepare to comment on three substantial texts (articles or book chapters) for each seminar taking approximately 3 hours. Each assessment requires independent research, reading around 6-10 texts and writing and presenting the outcomes of this preparation in an essay, review, presentation or other related task.

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You do not need to pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A2
Weighting Study time Eligible for self-certification
Assessment component
1000 word oral presentation 20% No
Reassessment component
1000 word essay Yes (extension)
Assessment component
2000 word essay 30% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Assessment component
3000 word essay 50% Yes (extension)
Reassessment component is the same
Feedback on assessment

Written comments and oral feedback will be provided for non-assessed assignments.

Courses

This module is Core optional for:

  • Year 1 of UHIA-V1V5 Undergraduate History and Philosophy
  • Year 1 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics

This module is Optional for:

  • Year 1 of UENA-VQ32 Undergraduate English and History
  • Year 1 of UHIA-V100 Undergraduate History
  • Year 1 of UHIA-VM11 Undergraduate History and Politics
  • Year 1 of UHIA-VL13 Undergraduate History and Sociology

This module is Option list G for:

  • Year 1 of UPHA-V7ML Undergraduate Philosophy, Politics and Economics