Discussing “Medieval” China

Author: Bret Windhauser

Objective of the activity

I want students to think about the agrarian question in 20th world history. I want them to understand A) what the agrarian question is (the transformation of a pre-capitalist/private countryside into a modern/public one). B) and, to consider and understand two case studies, China (post-WWII) and Palestine (1922-1948). StudenThe class has three learning objectives and builds upon two skills used throughout the course. Learning objectives: 1. Question Eurocentric concepts of periodization as they are applied to other geographic contexts – in this case, the terms “feudal” and “medieval” 2. Reorient historical periods to how people living at the time categorized them, as evidenced through literature and art 3. Understand the social history of Late Song through Early Yuan China Skills: 1. Primary source analysis 2. Visual analysis 3. Group discussion and light debate students will have to present to class in some form or another to show that they have comprehension of the topic.

Pre-class activities

Previously discussed elements in the course that will be important – European feudalism, Determining Periodization in History, Benin City, Mongol expansion and Yuan Dynasty Throughout the course, we have also done quite a bit of visual analysis of visual primary sources, which developed skills we will use in this class. Students also know to bring a device of some kind (phone, tablet, or laptop) to interact with digital components. Homework before class: Read the article and answer questions – See attachment for full assignment Article: Tianyu, Feng. “Society of Imperial Power: Reinterpreting China’s ‘Feudal Society.’” Journal of Chinese Humanities (Leiden) 1, no. 1 (2014): 25–50.

In-class activities

Discuss the article assigned for homework about Feudalism in China. Tianyu argues that the notion that China was a “feudal society” from 221 BCE to 1912 CE has historically been used to justify European imperialism and global supremacy by suggesting that China was “stuck” in a feudal stage of development. Tianyu then posits that China transitioned away from feudalism, at least in a European sense, in the late antique era. Class discussion on how Tianyu’s argument fits within Marxist and Ibn Khaldunian notions of temporal change. Transition: If we understand that terms like Medieval are associated mainly with European history and one of the defining elements of Medieval Europe is feudalism, how can we characterize/ periodize this period (roughly 800 – 1300) in Chinese history? Many Chinese historians discuss this not as “Medieval” China but a golden age of artistic and technological innovation. Short presentation on the Song Dynasty and technological innovations that developed under the dynasty. Introduce the Along the River During the Qingming Festival scroll painted by Zhang Zeduan. Activity Separate the students into groups. Have them go to the website below, which has high-quality scans of the Qingming Festival Scroll. The website has the original scroll and multiple later copies. Students should scroll down to the part of the website that says “Original Scroll”. When they click on it, the full scroll will be accessible. Encourage the students to scroll through the images on their own devices for a minute before discussing the questions on the handout (see attachment). This should take about 15-20 minutes for the students to discuss. If a group finishes early, have them scroll down to the “Qing Court Version” and have them repeat the activity to identify any differences. At a point when two groups are done, have them debate their findings with each other. The students often focus on different parts of the scroll which have slightly different answers. The instructor during the activity should circulate and encourage participation, especially for students who tend to be quieter in class. If needed, speak to those students one-on-one to understand their opinions on the scroll.

After Class Activities

Homework: Read Marco Polo’s description of the city of Hangchow (modern Hangzhou, China) called “Description of the Great City of Kinsay (Hangchow) Which Is the Capital of the Whole Country of Manzi (South China)” through the link below. Write a short reflection, around one page double-spaced, comparing and contrasting Polo’s description of Hangchow with Lourenco Pinto’s description of Ubini in Igodomigodo (modern Benin City, Nigeria) which we discussed previously. What can we learn about these Europeans’ reflections on major non-European cities? -See attachment for full assignment The assessment is important for understanding how the students engage with material across centuries and continents in a comparative way. Much of the course, as a history survey, intends to build skills for analyzing such primary sources in conversation with one another. This assessment is graded for participation with feedback provided on Brightspace.

Resources

i3v6Vxbm7GAM-Reinterpreting-Chinas-Feudal-Soceity.pdf, 8f5abWxQWqG2-Windhauser_The-Fengjian-System-Assignment.pdf, xmazH7OfgK4N-Windhauser_In-class-Qingming-Scroll-Worksheet.pdf

IMzYG3PWe6fC-Windhauser_Medieval-China-Presentation.pdf, s1qMmJ1LfqTd-Windhauser_Polo-and-Pinto-Primary-Source-Analysis.pdf, BFppC31WOOas-Windhauser_CACI-Lesson-Plan-Medieval-China.pdf