Exploring Culture in the
Great Cities of Asia
Autumn 2004¥¥Asian Studies 180/History 180
Class time: MWF 11-11:50 AM, KJ 221
Anand Pandian
Office: KJ 164; ext. 4815; Office Hours: TR 3-4 and by appointment
Thomas
Wilson
Office: KJ 128; ext. 4236; Office Hours: TF 2:30-3:30 and by appointment
Texts for purchase:
Rhoads Murphy, A History of Asia (New York: Longman, 2003)
Manimekhalai: The Dancer With the
Magic Bowl (New
Directions, 1989)
Wu Cheng-en, Monkey, Arthur Waley, trans. (New York:
Grove Press, 1943)
Murasaki Shikibu, The Tale of
Genji, Edward
Seidensticker, trans. (New York: Vintage, 1985)
Grades:
1st writing assignment 15% class
participation 10%
1st version (50% of paper grade) in-class
quizzes 25%
2nd
version (50% of paper grade)
2nd writing assignment 15% final
exam 20%
3rd writing assignment 15%
Class Schedule:
8/30 Introduction
9/1 What is Asia?
A
History of Asia,
1-8
<
http://www.cojoweb.com/earthlights.html>
Topics:
Geography, cosmological maps: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam,
Shinto; Political Orders: principality, empire; nation-state; Functions of the
city: ritual, administration, commercial; Defining Asia in its own terms
9/3 India: historical
survey
A History of Asia, 64-86
Topics: Vedic peoples, the rise of kingdoms, Hinduism and the caste system, Mughal and British empires, the nationalist period
9/6 Ancient Religions: the Vedic era
in India: Origin myths
ÒPraj‰pati
and Brahm‰,Ó Hindu Myths, 25-33
Topics: Rg Veda and Vedism, Brahmanas; creation
myths; pantheon: Praj‰pati, Brahm‰; dharma, karma
9/8 Ancient India & the Vedic
era: ritual, sacrifice, and governance
ÒThe
Horse Sacrifice,Ó The Rig Veda, 87-95
Topics: sacred foundations of the social
order, political legitimation through ritual
9/10 China: historical survey
Topics: ancient/classical feudalism;
early, middle, late imperial eras; revolution; Republic, communism
9/13 Ancient China: Origin myths
ÒThe Canon of Shun,Ó Book of Documents, 11-18
Topics:
the son of Heaven, HeavenÕs mandate, sacrifice
9/15 Defining Asia: sacred kingship & sacrifice
¥ 9/24: First writing
assignment due by 3PM in our mailboxes located in KJ
9/17 China: Ancient Confucianism
Analects, Books 3-4
ÒThe
Spirits of Chinese Religion,Ó Religions of Asia in Practice, 296-299
Topics: ritual, humanity, gods
9/20 China: Ancient Daoism
ÒLaozi:
Ancient Philosopher, Master of Immortality,
and God,Ó Religions of Asia in Practice, 330-341
ÒThe
Spirits of Chinese Religion,Ó Religions of Asia in Practice, 299-304
Topics: Laozi, Zhuangzi; Dao, mutual
production of things; immortality, gods
9/22 India: critique of Vedism &
heterodox Brahmanism, Buddhism, Upanisads
Religions of Asia in Practice, 3-19
Bhagavad Gita, selections
Topics: salvation, devotion, patronage;
dharma; Aranyakas
9/24 Defining Asia: Theravada Buddhist doctrines &
sects
ÒTheravada Buddhism,Ó Sources of
Indian Tradition,
90-113 (top)
Topics: Gautama Sakyamuni, samsara, karma,
nirvana, Four Noble Truths, Eight-fold Path
9/27 Images of the Buddha and the
Bodhisattva in Chinese Sculpture (Prof. Steve Goldberg)
9/29 Defining Asia: Theravada Buddhist patronage
Manimekhalai: The Dancer With the
Magic Bowl
Topics: rise of mercantile class; spread
of Buddhism; forms of patronage: community patronage; d‰na
10/1 Formation of Early Empires on
the Sub-continent
A History of Asia, 110-132
Religions of Asia in Practice, 30-36
¥10/1: In-class Quiz #1 on reading
from A History of Asia
10/4 Fall Recess (No Class)
10/6 Hindu Devotion
Speaking of Siva, selections
Hymns for the Drowning, selections
Religions of Asia in Practice, 19-26, 36-39
Topics: Bhakti devotionalism, caste
¥10/7: Revisions due by 3PM in our mailboxes located in KJ
136
10/8 Hindu Cosmology and Images of
Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva (Prof. Steve Goldberg)
10/11 Empire Building: China (Qin to
Tang)
A History of Asia, 108, 134-140
ÒThe World Beyond China,Ó Chinese
Civilization: A Sourcebook, 54-56
ÒHeaven, Earth, and Man,Ó Chinese
Civilization: A Sourcebook, 57-59
ÒEmperor Taizong on Effective
Government,Ó Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook, 112-15
Topics: empire, civil bureaucracy,
aristocracy, Confucian syncretism; Tang codification
10/13 China: the ritual city of
ChangÕan
ÒThe Examination System,Ó Chinese
Civilization: A Sourcebook, 128-31
ÒA PilgrimÕs Visit to the Five Terraces,Ó
Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook, 132-36
Topics: sacred geography of the city,
imperial court and ritual
Begin reading Tale of Genji
10/15 China: ChinaÕs Cosmopolitan
AgeÓ
10/18 Defining Asia: Mahayana Buddhist doctrine
ÒThe Lotus School: The Tiantai
Synthesis,Ó Sources of Chinese Tradition, vol. 1: 444-458
Topics: Tiantai, Pure Land, Lotus Sutra, Bodhisattva, Avalokite«srvara,
Guanyin, Kannon, Chan/Zen, koan
10/20 Japan: historical survey
A History of Asia, 154-158 (middle of page)
ÒEarliest Japanese Chronicles,Ó Sources
of Japanese Tradition,
12-33
Topics: sacred kingship, imperial lineage,
courtier
continue reading Tale of Genji
10/22 Japan: Shinto (film)
continue reading Tale of Genji
10/25 Classical Japan: the
Nara-Heian periods
A
History of Asia,
158-168 (top left)
ÒImpact
of Chinese Civilization,Ó Japan: A Documentary History, 21-33
continue reading Tale of Genji
Topics: aristocracy, Taika Reforms, Taiho
Code; Kyoto (& ChangÕan); sacred kingship; imperial lineage, courtier
10/27 Defining Asia: Mahayana Buddhist ritual practice
(Japan)
ÒA Sutra Promoting the White-robed
Guanyin,Ó Religions of Asia in Practice, 350-58
Topics: devotional paintings of the Buddha;
Shingon, Kukai (774-835), mantra, mandala, Dainichi, three mysteries, Nembutsu,
Nichiren (1222-82), honzon
10/29 A Voice of OneÕs Own: Yamato-e
painting and Wayo (Japanese) or Onna-de (woman's hand) calligraphy (Prof. Steve
Goldberg)
Complete reading Tale of Genji
11/1 The WorldÕs First
Novel? Putting The Tale of Genji in its Literary and Historical Context (Prof. Melek
Ortabasi)
11/3 Medieval Japan: Kamakura and Ashikaga shoguns
A
History of Asia,
168-174
ÒRise of
the Warrior (Samurai) Class,Ó Japan: A Documentary History, 101-116
Topics: Shogun, samurai; military culture
11/5 Defining Asia: Defining Asia through TravelersÕ
Eyes
A
History of Asia,
148-53, 188-194
Marco
Polo, The Travels,
selections
¥11/4:
Second writing assignment due by 3PM in our mailboxes located in KJ
136
11/8 Medieval Sea Trade in Asia
Before
European Hegemony: The World System A.D. 1250-1350, 1-38
Topics: shift from overland to maritime
trade, south China sea trade
11/10 Defining Asia: Mongols and the Mughal Empire
A History of Asia, 176-188 (middle)
Topics: Akbar, centralized state, imperial
cities, religious syncretism
¥11/10: In-class Quiz #2 on
reading from A History of Asia
11/12 Late Imperial Chinese City
A History of Asia, 140-52
ÒThe Attractions of the Capital,Ó Chinese
Civilization: A Sourcebook, 178-85
Topics: urbanization, breaking out of the
ward system, Kaifeng, LinÕan (Hangzhou)
11/15 Late Imperial Chinese Society
A History of Asia, 196-208
ÒA Schedule for Learning,Ó Chinese
Civilization: A Sourcebook, 195-98
Topics: decline of aristocracy, Confucian
gentry, civil examinations, civil bureaucracy, three examination levels:
licentiate/county level, recommended person/provincial, presented
scholar/metropolitan
11/17 China: Song-Ming Confucianism
ÒAncestral Rites,Ó Chinese
Civilization: A Sourcebook, 157-63
ÒZhu XiÕs Neo-Confucian Program,Ó Sources
of Chinese Tradition, 720-731
ÒWang YangmingÕs New Learning of the
Mind-and-Heart,Ó Sources of Chinese Tradition, 842-847
Topics: Cheng-Zhu orthodoxy, Lu-Wang
school, self-cultivation, syncretism; lineage, ancestor worship, spirit and
ghost
11/19 Late Imperial Chinese
Political Order
A History of Asia, 208-218
ÒA Censor Accuses a Eunuch,Ó Chinese
Civilization: A Sourcebook, 263-69
Topics: autocracy
11/22 Defining Asia: Encounters with Europe
A History of Asia, 219-239
Begin reading Monkey
11/24-26 Thanksgiving Recess (No Class)
11/29 Beijing: Imperial City
A History of Asia, 241-55
¥ 11/29: In-class Quiz #3 on reading from A
History of Asia
12/1 Tokugawa Japan: Edo/Tokyo
A History of Asia, 255-67
Topics: daimyo, Oda Nobunga, Tokugawa
Ieyasu, bureaucratization of the samurai
Read Monkey
12/3 Monkeys
Complete reading Monkey
12/6 Japanese cities: Osaka and
Kyoto
Reading to be announced
Topics: rise of merchant class; decline of
the samurai; reform
¥12/9:Third writing assignment
due by 3PM in our mailboxes located in KJ 136
12/8 Defining Asia: Colonial Trade
A History of Asia, 268-319
Topics: Tea and Opium Trade, merchant
classes; colonialism and imperialism
12/10 Defining Asia: Comparative Anti-colonial
Movements
A History of Asia, 321-344; 352-369
Precepts and Odes Published by Hong
Xiuquan . . . The Ten Commandments,Ó The Search for Modern
China: A Documentary Collection, 139-143
Topics: anti-colonialism, nationalism;
drain theory, extraterritorial rights; self-strengthening,
Final Examination Date to be
announced by RegistrarÕs office.
No early exams given under any circumstances; please
schedule your departures from campus accordingly.
NO OUTSIDE SOURCES MAY BE USED
No extensions granted within 24 hours of deadlines
Drawing from the primary
sources listed below discuss the indivisible nature of ritual, ruling, and
society in ancient India and China. Be sure to use and analyze specific
examples of religious thought and practice as well as social organizations and
political institutions.
India: ÒPraj‰pati and Brahm‰,Ó Hindu
Myths and ÒThe Horse
Sacrifice,Ó The Rig Veda
China: ÒThe Canon of Shun,Ó Book of
Documents and Book of Rites, ÒThe Single Victim at the Border SacrificeÓ
NB: Do not use Rhoads MurphyÕs History of Asia as a source of information on Asian
religions.
Note: Be sure to focus your attention on ancient India and
China, rather than the ways that the ideas in these texts differ from or are
similar to ideas found in the modern Western world.
The first draft should be about 3 pages, double-spaced and
typed in a standard twelve-point font. Make sure to provide complete citations
for your evidence.
How can
fictional literature like The Tale of Genji be used as a primary source to gain
insight into ancient Japan? There are at least two ways: Fiction can be used as
a window on to other places and times by viewing fictional characters as historically
representative of
certain groups of people, such as rulers, courtiers, women of noble rank,
servants. Fiction can also be used as a means to explore how its author understood
the world in which
she or he lived. In this case, The Tale of Genji constitutes Lady MurasakiÕs
personal testimony about life among Heian courtiers; a document that expresses
her own understanding of religious rituals and customs, the ways that emperors
and courtiers actually exercised power in and especially out of court,
consensus and conflict over moral values, etc.
Use one of these approaches to formulate a thesis about
Heian Japan on the basis of The Tale of Genji. For example, you might draw evidence
from the novel to discuss the nature of Heian politics (the aristocratic life
at court, the power wielded by the emperor, the process through which an heir
is selected, etc.), religious values or activities of the period (particularly
Buddhism, the use of natural imagery, the role of dreams in how characters
understood their lives), or gender (duties of the husband and wife, status of
sex, uses of sexual innuendo in dialogue, language, expression of inner
sentiments, etc.). When formulating your ideas, please bear in mind an
important theme of the course: the integration of religious practice and
ideas, ruling, and social status.
**Avoid plot summary; focus on what the text tells us about
Japan at the time the book was written. Make sure that you offer concrete
examples of the characteristics of Heian culture that can be identified in
the novel.
NB: Do not use Rhoads MurphyÕs History of Asia as a source of information on Asian
religions.
Papers
should be 3-4 pages in length, double-spaced and in a standard font. All papers should include complete
citations in either footnote or endnote form.
Scholars have variously argued that the folktale Monkey is a
Buddhist, a Daoist, or a Confucian story. Still others have characterized it as
a combination of the three teachings/religions. As students of Asia, use your
knowledge of AsiaÕs rich religious/philosophical traditions to interpret this
story. What does this folktale tell us about the three religions? How might we
use this story to understand religious syncretism? Successful essays will make effective use of the variety of
class materials available to you, including class lectures and discussion,
textbook readings, and primary source readings from this and earlier parts of
the course.
NB: Do not use Rhoads MurphyÕs History of Asia as a source of information on Asian
religions.
Papers should be 3-4 pages in
length. They should be typed and
double-spaced in a standard 12-point font. Use complete footnotes to cite relevant sources throughout
your paper. Avoid plot
summary; focus on what the text tells us about China at the time the book was
written.
The Writing Assignments
Grading Criteria: A ÒgoodÓ (i.e., B) essay is clearly
written and logically
sound. An
ÒexcellentÓ (i.e., A) essay presents a compelling argument for a thoughtful and imaginative interpretation of the sources that is evident only
upon thoroughly re-reading the sources and careful reflection upon the problems
raised. A compelling argument requires (1) a clear formulation of a problem, (2) analysis of the texts under scrutiny, and
(3) a scrupulous use and citation of supporting evidence from the texts. A thoughtful interpretation requires digging beneath the
surface meaning of the texts to a subtler understanding of their connections to
broader (social, political, etc.) contexts. A ÒproseÓ grade of CÐ (i.e.,
slightly less than ÒsatisfactoryÓ) is assigned to grammatically correct but
informal and stylistically weak writing; and D+ or below for repeated
infractions of basic rules of writing, depending upon frequency and
egregiousness of such errors.
Effective Writing: An important part of a writing
assignment is to formulate an interesting and original topic. Do not simply summarize the content of your
sources. Present an argument or a thesis based on your own interpretation of the sources. Be sure to develop
your ideas fully. Keep in mind that most important, central ideas of the essay
should be clearly stated, explicated, and documented. Do not assume that any
major point you want to make is self-evident; it is always important to make
explicit the connection between your argument and the evidence you cite. A well
written paper requires thorough reading and precise written expression. A
thorough understanding of your sources depends upon close reading, careful
reflection, and re-reading. Precise written expression requires writing, editing, and re-writing.
Documentation: You must cite all sources of
information that you use, even if you do not quote a source directly in your essay. If you do not cite the sources from
which you derive information, or on which you base your description of an
event, or interpretation of an idea, etc., the implication is that the idea is
your own, or that it is based on your own primary research. Failure to cite
such sources is plagiarism. Be sure to cite exact page numbers of any source from
which you quote directly, although it is rarely necessary to cite the same
source more than once in the same paragraph. Use proper citation forms (i.e., footnotes,
end notes, in-text parenthetical notes) as described in the Hamilton College
Style Sheet. Be
consistent in the citation format used.
Revision Policy: Because this is Òwriting
intensiveÓ course, students are expected to revise the first writing assignment
in consultation with their instructor. Students who receive grades of B+ or
higher are exempted. Students who receive grades of CÐ or below on subsequent
assignments are expected to revise their essays.
_________Mechanics (grammar, spelling, punctuation, citation,
organization)
Are there any spelling, punctuation, or grammatical
errors?
Is the essay clearly and effectively organized?
Are sources quoted accurately and cited properly in
footnotes and the bibliography?
__________Written
Expression (prose, eloquence,
interpretation, documentation)
Is the evidence (e.g., quoted passages, summaries of texts) effectively connected to the argument?
Is the prose clearly and persuasively written?
Are the ideas expressed articulately?
How compelling is the interpretation of the evidence?
________Argument (thesis, argument, evidence, analysis, documentation)
Is the thesis clearly stated?
Is the thesis supported by a compelling argument and the most pertinent evidence?
How persuasively are the (primary) sources analyzed?
Is the evidence used effectively?
Are ideas fully developed?