DISTINCTION AHIS343 FULL UNIT NOTES

Description

Early China (History and Archaeology) These notes cover the entire unit's content with the exception of the Tanguts which were not examined, from the Neolithic period to Tang China and are extremely comprehensive, integrating lecture notes, tutorial discussions and readings. 11 topics covered - Pre-history (Neolithic) to Shang dynasty - Western and Eastern Zhou to the Warring States - Philosophical Foundations - Confucius, Mencius and Laozi - Unification of China: the First Emperor and the Qin dynasty - Tomb complex of the First Emperor - Rise of the Han and Sima Qian (the Grand Historian) - Restoration and demise of the Han - Introduction of Buddhism into China - Between the Han and the Tang - Reunification and the rise of a Golden Age – Sui-Tang China - Tang China and the Silk Road  Readings covered: Patricia Ebrey, 'The Cambridge illustrated history of China' Valerie Hansen, 'The open empire: a history of China to 1800' William Theodore De Bary & Irene Bloom, 'Sources of Chinese tradition' Jacques Gernet, 'A history of Chinese civilization' As well as a large number of primary sources which are referenced within the notes