Asian Studies Centre University of Manitoba A 1420 / H

University of Manitoba
Asian Studies Centre
ASIA 1420 / HIST 1420 - ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS TO 1500 - A01
Fall 2015
3 credit hours
CRN: 10133/10134
Schedule: Mon./Wed./Fri., 10:30 am -11:20 pm
Classroom: St. John’s College 118
Instructor: Terry Russell
Office: 469 University College
Consultation Hours: MWF 11:30 to 12:20 pm, or by appointment
Phone: 474-8964 (office)
E-mail: [email protected]
Required Textbook: Murphey, Rhoads & Kristin Stapleton. A History of
Asia (7th edition). Pearson, 2014 (HA).
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
It has been predicted that in twenty or thirty years Asia, and not the Euro-American axis,
will be the centre of world affairs. In 2010, China surpassed Japan as the second largest
economy in the world, and India will soon rank in the top five or six largest economies.
Japan will continue to be a major force in the world economy, and will play an
increasingly important role in international diplomacy. Canada has traditionally enjoyed
good relations with most of Asia, but it is being left behind in the race to take advantage
of the enormous changes currently taking place in that part of the world. In Manitoba and
parts East especially, Canadians are either too reluctant or too unimaginative to let go of
their Euro-American focus. They seem to view Asia as an exotic vacation destination, but
not a place that has any real importance to their real lives. In contrast, the United States
and the European Union have been extremely active in pursuing Asian opportunities,
economic, political and technological. Canada’s share of Asian trade has, on the contrary,
been steadily shrinking. This is a situation that must change if Canadians are to continue
to enjoy the quality of life that they presently do.
The course, “Asian Civilizations to 1500,” studies the history and culture of East Asia,
South Asia, and Southeast Asia (also referred to as Monsoon Asia) from earliest times
until 1500. It proceeds on the assumption that we must overcome our colonial views of
Asia and accept that we have much to learn from the ancient cultures and the modern
technologies of the East. Culturally and technologically, we have much to offer Asian
nations, but increasingly, we also have much to learn from them.
Our concern in this course will be the development of the civilizations and political
systems in Asia, as well as the foundations of their cultures and traditions. Major topics
for discussion include: the Warring States Period and the Hundred Schools of Thought,
the rise of the Qin (Ch’in) and Han, the Dravidian and Aryan influences in South Asia,
the Maurya and Gupta empires, the three kingdoms of Korea, the peopling of Japan and
the rise to power of the Yamato family, samurai culture and the formation of the military
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government of Japan, the Indianization and Sinification of Southeast Asia, the rise of the
Southeast Asian classical states and their successor states, and East Asia, South Asia, and
Southeast Asia on the eve of Western contact. Learning is done through a combination of
lectures and discussions, readings, and audio-visual aids.
The year 1500 serves as a convenient point of division between pre-modern Asia and the
Asia that was confronted by post-Renaissance European expansionism. It is in most ways
a Eurocentric point of division, but there is also no question that from 1500 onwards Asia
underwent momentous and unprecedented changes (e.g., colonization, nationalism,
revolutions, economic transformations). It should be noted, however, that the traditions
and cultures of East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, were already thriving and
technologically advanced before direct European contact. In that sense, European
expansion represented only one phase among many in the history of Asia.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the semester, the students are expected to
1. have knowledge of the events that have shaped the pre-modern history of Asia,
2. understand the historical and cultural traditions of the peoples of Asia,
3. have improved writing and analytical skills.
COURSE GRADE: The final mark is based on a one-hundred-point numerical scale
converted into the following letter grades:
A+
A
B+
B
C+
C
D
F
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
90-100 points
80-89 points
75-79 points
70-74 points
65-69 points
60-64 points
50-59 points
49 points and below
I will round off to the next higher number if the fraction of the total reaches .5; e.g., 79.5
is considered an 80 or an A.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Midterm Test - 20% (Fill-in-the-blanks and Maps)
Final Exam - 30% (Fill-in-the-blanks, Maps and Short Essays)
Two Research Essays - 50% (each paper is worth 25%)
WRITTEN ESSAYS:
“Asian Civilizations to 1500” has a written English component. Thus, students will be
required to submit two (2) written essays with topics based on materials assigned by the
instructor. The essays should be from 6 to 8 pages long (1500-2000 words), double
spaced and written on 8.5" x 11" paper, no more than a 1" margin on all sides, with the
font no larger than 12 pts. All work should be written in Standard English, clear and
organized, and free of grammatical and spelling errors. Ideas taken from other people’s
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works should be so acknowledged. This is a humanities-based course. The most common
essay format style for footnotes and bibliographies is the Modern Language Association
style, or MLA style. It is required that you follow MLA format as set out in the MLA
Handbook, A good internet source for this style is found at:
http://umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/infolit/media/citing_mla.pdf. Remember that the URL
and access date must be included for internet materials.
Note: students in the social sciences who are accustomed to using the APA format may
do so, provided the APA system is followed correctly and consistently (i.e. no mixing of
formats).
Failure to adequately document sources using a consistent format will result in a reduced
grade or a request for a rewrite. Cases of suspected plagiarism (i.e. unacknowledged use
of sources and presentation of the ideas and work of others as your own) will be dealt
with according to University policies on academic dishonesty.
Since this is a course that meets the University Senate’s W requirement, students
must complete all essay assignments with a passing grade to pass the course.
Essay Topics
Essays for Asia 1420 will be on assigned topics which include the use of assigned reading
materials. In their essays, students must attempt to answer the question or questions posed
in the essay assignment. Assigned reading material must be used in all essays. These
reading materials are all available through the University library system, mostly via the
electronic data base collection. Lists of these readings will be available on the UMLearn
(Desire2Learn) internet site for this course. The topics and readings will be introduced
and discussed in class.
Students must choose to use at least three of the assigned readings in their essay, but they
may use more if they wish. Other materials may not be used. If a student uses material
from sources other than the assigned readings they will be penalized or asked to do a
rewrite.
Essay topics for this term are: Essay 1: The Aryan Invasion
Essay 2: Korean Influence in Early Japan
The deadline for each essay is as follows:
Essay 1 - October 26 (Monday)
Essay 2 - December 4 (Friday)
All work should be submitted to the instructor or teaching assistant personally
during the scheduled class time. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule.
Electronic copies of essays will not be accepted. Late work will be accepted in the
next class meeting. There will also be a corresponding penalty of 5 percentage points off
the total score for every day that the work is overdue. Work that is more than seven (7)
days late will no longer be accepted. SOME ADVICE ON THE ESSAYS:
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The essay topic and materials upon which the topic is based are very well defined. You
must insure that you fully understand both the topic and the materials. If you do not write
an essay that addresses the assigned topic, you will lose marks.
Each essay should address the topic assigned. It is up to you how you write the essay and
there are certainly no rules as to what may work. However, here are some tips.
1) Write taking into consideration what you have learned and researched. You cannot
give an opinion that is not backed up by information. There must be substance in what
you write.
2) Write with an analytical bent. A descriptive essay along with simple summaries and
quotations would normally fall into the D/C range. Essays that are problem-oriented will
get the higher marks. Aside from the question “What happened?” go beyond to “How did
it happen?” and “Why did it happen?”
3) Be honest. Plagiarism is not acceptable. It is also not good practice to quote from, or
rely heavily upon, the course textbook or class lecture notes.
4) Pay attention to your writing. Write in good, clear English. If you have problems with
English expression, take advantage of the services offered by the English Language
Centre and the International Centre for Students.
If you follow these tips, everything else should fall into place. Keep in mind that I am
looking for evidence that students can focus on a historical or cultural problem and gather
information relevant to that problem. It is an exercise in objective study and your
personal opinions are valuable only when you can provide good evidence for them. I am
also interested in your perspective, but your perspective must be an informed
perspective. Do not be afraid to be original; fresh insights and interesting thoughts are
always a joy to read. Just remember that you must back up what you say with some
evidence. You should also try to construct your argument in such a way as to make your
points clear and convincing. Therefore, think about what you want to write and do it
carefully. The practice in writing and critical thinking that you get from doing these
essays will serve you well in the future.
ESSAY REWRITES:
If you do not provide proper citation for your essay, or if there are other serious
formatting issues, you will be asked to rewrite your essay. If you do not rewrite you
will receive a “0” on the paper.
You may make a request to rewrite your paper if you feel that you can make
significant improvements to it. However, you must consult with either the Instructor
or TA to discuss how and why you wish to do a rewrite. If you do not consult with
either the Instructor or TA in advance, your rewritten paper will NOT BE
ACCEPTED.
If your rewritten paper receives a higher mark than the original, the higher mark will be
recorded. If you receive a lower mark, an average of the original and the rewrite mark
will be recorded.
TEST AND EXAM:
There will be one mid-term test and one final exam for this class. Both the midterm test
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and final exam have fill-in-the-blanks formats and map components. As well, the final
exam will include two essay questions of @600 words each (students will choose two
from a number of questions given). Those who arrive late for an examination may not
request additional time. Students who miss a scheduled test must have a reasonable
excuse for the absence. A doctor’s certificate must be presented for absences resulting
from illness. Keep in mind that a makeup exam cannot be given for frivolous excuses.
EXAMINATION DATES:
Midterm Exam (November 2, 2015)
Final Exam (Check Examination Schedule for time and place Dec. 11-23, 2015)
Note: Uncollected term work will become the property of the Faculty of Arts and will be
subject to confidential destruction. Also, students who wish to appeal a grade given for
term work must do so within 10 working days after the grade for the term work has been
made available to them.
CODE OF CONDUCT:
Be on time. Be prepared to stay until the end of the class period. Cellular phones must be
turned off or set on silent mode. Your complete attention is also appreciated. Students
who want to do something other than the lesson should not attend.
Laptop and tablet computers may be used during class for the purpose of following the
lecture outline or making notes on the lecture. Students may not surf the web for material
unrelated to the class they are attending. Any student found violating this principle shall
be disallowed from using their computer in class.
ATTENDANCE:
Regular attendance in all classes is required of University students. Being in class allows
the student to interact with the instructor and fellow students. Moreover, the student has
the opportunity to pick up nuances, additional material, and clarifications on topics that
would be difficult to get from the reading materials alone. Learning involves both reading
and an exchange of ideas. It will thus be difficult to pass the course without regular
attendance. As such, it is the policy of the Asian Studies Centre that students who miss
more than 25% of their classes will be subject to debarment (see the University of
Manitoba’s Undergraduate Calendar 2015-2016, General Academic Regulations/
Attendance and Withdrawal).
For “Asian Civilizations to 1500,” the maximum number of unexcused absences is
10. However, special consideration will be given to those who have valid excuses in
accordance with the regulations set down in the University’s Undergraduate Calendar.
For example, a student who was absent because of illness must present a medical
certificate from the doctor.
Attendance during regular class meetings will always be checked via the signup method.
Those who come in 15 minutes past the scheduled time are considered absent and should
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not sign on the attendance roster. However, to avoid any problem, please tell the
instructor if you have a special situation that prevents you from getting to class on time.
As well, adjustments to the checking of attendance will be made depending on the
weather. Still, in order for you not to distract others, it is always best to get in on time.
ADDITIONAL REMINDERS:
VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL DEADLINE AND EVALUATIVE FEEDBACK: The
deadline for voluntary withdrawal without academic penalty is Nov. 18/15 for fall
courses. Students wishing to get evaluative feedback before this deadline should see the
instructor during the week of Nov. 9/15.
REMINDER ON ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Students should acquaint themselves
with the University’s policy on plagiarism, cheating, and exam personation (see the
University of Manitoba 2015-2016 Undergraduate Calendar/General Academic
Regulations/Academic Integrity). The usual penalty in the Faculty of Arts for plagiarism
on a written assignment or academic dishonesty on a test or examination is a grade of F
for the assignment or exam and F (Disc.) for the course. For more serious acts of
academic dishonesty, such as repeat violations, this penalty can also include suspension
for a period of up to five years from registration in courses taught by a particular
department in the Faculty of Arts or from all courses taught in the Faculty.
Please do not take any course requirement for granted. An exam or paper constitutes a
significant part of the grade. It will be hard for you to pass or get a decent mark in the
class if you fail to submit any course requirement.
TOPICS AND READINGS:
The required textbook for this class is Rhoads Murphey and Kristin Stapleton’s A History
of Asia (7th edition) (HA). It is available in the University Centre Bookstore. Please refer
to the cited page numbers in the book(s), or articles for each topic. If you want to read
beyond the pages specified, feel free to do so. This is encouraged. The abbreviations for
each book are spelled out in the Readings portion of the course outline.
A FINAL NOTE:
Please approach me or the teaching assistant if you are experiencing difficulties in
understanding the lectures and readings, or in doing the course requirements. These
problems can usually be solved if they are addressed early on. If you wait until the last
minute, there is not much we can do with the problem. After all has been said and done, I
would like to wish everyone a good semester.
Course Schedule
WEEK
Week 1 (Sept. 11)
TOPICS
Introduction
READINGS
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Week 2 (Sept. 14 – 18) The World of Monsoon Asia
Prehistoric Asia
HA: 1-9,
HA: 10-27
Week 3 (Sept. 21 – 25) The Foundations of Indian Civilization:
The Mauryan Empire
FILM: The Story of India I
HA: 68-69
HA: 69-74
Week 4 (Sept. 28-Oct. 2) Southern India and the Gupta Empire
Indian Religions: Hinduism and Buddhism
FILM: The Story of India II
HA: 74-82
HA: 28-36
Week 5 (Oct. 5-9) Essay topic discussion: The Aryan Invasion?
Week 6 (Oct. 14- 16) No Classes Monday, Oct. 12 (Thanksgiving Day)
Early Chinese Civilization
HA: 83-90
The Shang and Zhou Periods
HA: 90-103
Week 7 (Oct. 19 – 23) Golden Age of Philosophers
Qin Conquest and Han
FILM: The Mandate of Heaven
Week 8 (Oct 26-30) Essay 1 Due (Oct. 26)
FILM: The Story of India III
Islam and its Arrival in South Asia
The Delhi Sultanate, The Tughluks
Week 9 (Nov. 2-6)
HA 36-40/89-90
HA 90-104
HA: 41-43/105-108
HA: 108-113
Midterm Exam (Nov. 2)
South India
FILM: The Story of India IV
HA: 113-118
Week 10 (Nov. 9-13) Tang and Sung China;
The Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty
HA: 134-148
HA: 148-153
Week 11 (Nov.16-20)
Voluntary Withdrawal Deadline: Nov. 18
Early Japan
HA:154-163
Heian and the Rise to Power of the Military
HA: 164-169
Medieval Japan
HA: 170-172
Week 12 (Nov. 23-27) The Three Kingdoms of Korea
HA: 172-176
Essay topic discussion: Korean Influence in Early Japan
Week 13 (Nov. 30– Dec. 4) Early and Medieval Southeast Asia
Tibet and Mongolia
HA: 120-141
HA: 192-198
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Essay 2 Due (Dec. 4)
Week 14 (Dec. 7-9) Ming China
Dec. 11 - 23
HA: 200-218
- FINAL EXAM (Check Examination Schedule for time and place)