ASIA 174East Asia to 1800

3 credits · Asian Studies · Penn State

This course provides students with an overview of the most important historical developments and external relations of China, Japan and Korea from ancient times to the end of the eighteenth century. As a comparative survey of China, Japan and Korea it includes topics such as external relations and cultural exchanges; early Chinese dynasties; Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto and Buddhism; the making of East Asian bureaucratic state and gentry society; the rise of Ming-Qing commercialized economy; the growth of Japanese culture; Tokugawa Japan, and the role of Korea in East Asia. It offers a basic knowledge of the cultural, political, economic, artistic and historical background of this vital region of the world.