China II: From Empire to Nation(s)

Georgetown University
HIST 1302

Semester: Summer 2026 (Second Session)
Time: Monday–Thursday, 1–2:55 p.m.
Classroom: Reiss Science Building #281
Instructor: Jeffrey C. H. Ngo
Email: cn460@georgetown.edu

Overview

Is China just a nation-state like any other? Or is it, as the Sinologist Lucian Pye once put it, “a civilization pretending to be a nation-state”? Recent scholarship has challenged both ideas. Instead, we are encouraged to view China as having been repeatedly reinvented through environmental upheavals, expansions and contractions, global entanglements, and opposing visions of sovereignty. Indeed, the People’s Republic may appear anomalous in today’s international system, a product of reconquests and thus an antithesis of the wave of global decolonization in the 20th century. It faces various challenges, ranging from economic and demographic to social and technological. But its greatest existential threats often concern its relationship with frontier regions and its standing on the international stage. We seek to demystify the world’s largest country by examining its past and considering it the latest iteration of a long, adaptive imperial tradition.

This course — the second half of the History Department’s traditional two-part survey of Chinese history — begins roughly in the late 16th century amid the climatic disruptions of the Little Ice Age, when ecological stress, fiscal strain, and internal rebellion weakened the Ming dynasty. At the same time, Manchus were consolidating power on the other side of the Great Wall before invading China and expanding deep into Inner Asia. We examine the Qing not as a Chinese dynasty but as a Central Eurasian empire that governed through conquest and differentiated rule. We trace how its confrontation with European imperialism and global capitalism inspired change but also spelled its eventual demise. We then consider the legitimacy of its various successor states. We reflect on China’s protracted rise to superpower status through the warlord era, the Japanese invasion, communist mobilization, market reform, an uneven embrace of globalization, and the resurgence of ultranationalism.

You are not assumed to have any prior knowledge of China or its language, although our prequel — HIST 1301, China I: Origins and Imperium — provides helpful background. Another way to familiarize yourself with ancient and premodern periods is to consult The Open Empire: A History of China to 1800 (2nd ed., 2015) by Valerie Hansen. This summer iteration of the course differs from the regular spring prototype in two main ways. First, rather than focus solely on the center, we devote equal attention to peripheral regions and global connections. In other words, it is about the mainland as much as it is about the various contested states that emerged after the Qing collapse. Second, we meet four days a week over five weeks for a total of 18 sessions. Each day, we start with a lecture that takes up a little more than the first hour and introduces relevant historical events. After a break, we move on to discuss the assigned selection of readings for the rest of the second hour. There is a midterm and a final examination. The format is designed to best facilitate your learning given the intensive off-season schedule.

Assignments

  • Presentation (5%)
    Prepare a ten-minute presentation during the class for which you sign up. The actual plan depends on course enrollment and individual preference. On that day, summarize key points of the assigned readings. Look for arguments, approaches, and a memorable scene or two. This exercise trains you to read critically and helps to launch the discussion. You might wish to also read the introduction and conclusion of the book from which a particular chapter is selected. Contact the instructor for that if you need access.

  • Primary-Source Analysis (10%)
    On the Thursday before the Monday deadline, you receive a dossier of three primary sources pertaining to events in the 17th century. Pick one to analyze in a short essay of 500 to 600 words. Provide some basic context about it based on your knowledge from lectures and readings. Then consider the following: What was the medium? Where and why was it produced? Was it meant to be public or private? Who was the intended audience? Whose voices were heard and unheard? What benefits and drawbacks are there for you as a student of history consulting it? Due in class on July 13.

  • Midterm (20%)
    The test — taken over 1 hour and 20 minutes — covers everything up to 1860 and consists of three parts. First, complete all 30 multiple-choice questions. Second, label a map of the Qing Empire. Third, provide short answers to four of eight prompts. Taken in class on July 20.

  • Book Review (15%)
    Report on an academic book that covers some aspect of modern Chinese history. You can pick anything authored by a professional historian or published by a university press within the past decade, so long as you seek the instructor’s approval. You should register your preference sooner rather than later to give yourself enough time. Aim for a final word count of about 800 to 1,000 words, written in the style of a periodical that appeals to a general readership. Consult the “How to Write a Book Review” document for guidance. Due in class on July 27.

  • Final Examination (25%)
    The test — taken over 1 hour and 40 minutes — covers everything since the midterm and consists of three parts. First, complete all 30 multiple-choice questions. Second, provide short answers to three of six prompts. Third, provide long answers to two of four prompts. You are welcome, but not required, to draw on pre-1861 content in the final part. Taken in class on Aug. 6.

  • Attendance and Participation (25%)
    Show up to every class. Contribute actively and respectfully to class discussions. You are allowed one unexcused absence over the course of the semester without penalty. Beyond that, please request an excused absence from the instructor before class and make it up by writing a one-page response to the assigned readings, or this portion of your final grade is lowered.

Grading Scale

  • Excellent
    A: 93–100%; A-: 90–92%

  • Good
    B+: 87–89%; B: 83–86%; B-: 80–82%

  • Adequate
    C+: 77–79%; C: 73–76%; C-: 70–72%

  • Minimum Passing
    D+: 67–69%; D: 60–66%

Core Curriculum

  • University Undergraduate: Engaging Diversity — Global

  • School of Foreign Service: Non-Western Regional History

Schedule

Module I: The General Crisis, 1616–88

Module II: Growth and Its Price, 1689–1860

— Midterm, July 20 —

Module III: The Empress Dowager’s Grip, 1861–1908

Module IV: Revolutions, 1909–69

Module V: Mao Versus Now, 1970–2026

— Final Examination, Aug. 6 —

A full syllabus — including additional sections on learning goals, policies and expectations, academic integrity, accommodations, Title IX statement, Title IX pregnancy modifications and adjustments, and other resources — is posted on Georgetown 360 and available upon request. Current students should also consult MyAccess and Canvas for more information.