Survey of the civilization of Japan from prehistoric times to the present.

Survey of the civilization of Japan from prehistoric times to the present.

Survey of the civilization of Japan from prehistoric times to the present.

This course deals with the empire built by the Mongols in the 13th century - the largest land empire in the world. Most readings will be from translated primary sources of the 13th and 14th centuries, written by the Mongols themselves and also by Persians, Chinese, Eastern Christians, Europeans, and other peoples that fought, surrendered to, or traded with the Mongol conquerors. The course will explore the Mongols, the most spectacular example of the nomadic conquerors who played such a large role in all Eurasian history, and survey how their empire affected themselves and the peoples they conquered. By using primary sources, the course will also provide a survey of civilizations in Eurasia in the 13th and 14th centuries, and give a hands-on example of how historians build historical knowledge from varied sources. Graduate students will receive training in more advanced source critical methodologies for dealing with these sources and for beginning research in this topic.

A site by site investigation of Buddhist and non-Buddhist ruins in Central Asia. Included are Nisa, Khwarezm, Pyandzhikent, Khalchayan, Ay-Khanum, Bamiyan, Miran, Tumshuk, Kizil, Kucha, Khotan, Adzhina-Tepe, Khocho, Khara-Khoto, and Bezeklik.

History of ceramic forms, techniques, and aesthetic principles in China, Korea, and Japan from neolithic times to the present century, illustrated by slides and examples, augmented by readings, field trips, and student presentations. Aimed at students with general interest in Japan and/or ceramics history; particularly but not exclusively those majoring in East Asian Languages & Civs, East Asian Area Studies or History of Art; also art majors interested in ceramics.

Who (or what) where the samurai? What does it mean to say that Japan had an "Age of the Samurai"? In popular imagination, pre-modern Japan has long been associated with its hereditary warrior class. Countless movies have explored the character and martial prowess of these men. Yet warriors constituted but a tiny portion of the societies they inhabited and ruled, and historians researching medieval Japan have turned their attentions to a great range of subjects and to other classes (elite and commoner alike). This class is designed to acquaint students with the complex and diverse centuries that have been called the "Age of the Samurai"-roughly, the years between ca. 1110 and 1850. In the course of the semester, we will explore the central themes in the historiography of warrior society, while introducing some of the defining texts that have shaped our imagination of this age (from laws to epic poems, from codes of conduct to autobiographies).

This course offers a thematic introduction to the history of martial arts in China. Throughout the semester, we will explore the social, political, and cultural contexts of martial arts practice, from the classical period to the 21st century. The course will take an interdisciplinary approach to situating martial arts practices in history through an examination of religious, literary, and visual sources, against the backdrop of theoretical approaches from across gender studies, anthropology, and cultural theory. The course will be divided into three units. The first unit will focus on the cultural background that led to the emergence of martial arts practices in the pre-modern period. We will examine classical discourses on the human body and its cultivation and the role of medical practices and religious institutions, such as the Shaolin Temple, in the development of martial arts regimens. In the second unit, we will discuss the spread and popularization of martial arts practices in late imperial and modern Chinese society through a close reading of literary sources, such as wuxia novels and other works of fiction. In addition, we will explore the modernization and re-invention of martial arts in the late 19th centuryand early 20th century, when China attempts to re-establish itself as a modern nation. The third and final unit will be devoted to the global impact of Chinese martial arts in contemporary popular culture. Through a discussion and analysis of Kung Fu films, as well as video games, we will explore the role of martial arts narratives and practices in the construction of gender, cultural, and national identity and the various ways in which they are used by the current Chinese regime to assert its influence in the global arena. No knowledge of Chinese is presumed, and all readings will be available in English on the Canvas website in PDF form. Graduate students may take this course as EALC6926 and should see the instructor to discuss requirements for graduate credit.

How do people make sense of the multiple experiences that the simple words "love" and "loss" imply? How do they express their thoughts and feelings to one another? In this course, we will explore some means Japanese culture has found to grapple with these events and sensations. We will also see how these culturally sanctioned frameworks have shaped the ways Japanese view love and loss. Our materials will sample the literary tradition of Japan from earliest times to the early modern and even modern periods. Close readings of a diverse group of texts, including poetry, narrative, theater, and the related arts of calligraphy, painting, and music will structure our inquiry. The class will take an expedition to nearby Woodlands Cemetery to experience poetry in nature. By the end of the course, you should be able to appreciate texts that differ slightly in their value systems, linguistic expressions, and aesthetic sensibilities from those that you may already know. Among the available project work that you may select, if you have basic Japanese, is learning to read a literary manga. All shared class material is in English translation.

History of ceramic forms, techniques, and aesthetic principles in China, Korea, and Japan from neolithic times to the present century, illustrated by slides and examples, augmented by readings, field trips, and student presentations. Aimed at students with general interest in Japan and/or ceramics history; particularly but not exclusively those majoring in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, East Asian Area Studies or History of Art; also art majors interested in ceramics.