History of Modern East Asia-1 (c. 1840-1949)

By Dr. Riddhi Bhattacharya | Scottish Church College, Kolkata

Learners enrolled: 261

Objective

- Assess the role of the gentry in pre-modern China's feudal society.

- Evaluate the impact of the 1840 Opium War in turning China into a semi-colony.

- Analyze the significance of the Taiping Rebellion in challenging the monarchy.

- Examine the failure of the 1911 Republic and the rise of warlordism.

- Explore the emergence of the Communist Party and its victory in establishing the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Pre-modern China was a feudal society, with the gentry as the ruling class. Other social classes included peasants, artisans, and merchants. In 1840, the Opium War allowed Western powers to make China an informal colony, turning it into a semi-colony. In the mid-19th century, the common people revolted against the monarchy and ruling class, with the Taiping Rebellion being the most significant uprising. This led to the Tung Chi Restoration and a self-strengthening movement aimed at strengthening the monarchy. Western powers then introduced an “Open Door” policy to tighten their control.

In the early 20th century, the anti-foreigner Boxer Rebellion broke out. In 1911, a revolution led by Sun Yat-sen established a republic, but it quickly failed, giving rise to warlords. After World War I, the May 4th Movement in 1919 led to the emergence of the Communist Party of China in 1920. This started a fierce conflict between the Communists and the Nationalists, who formed the Kuomintang Party. Civil wars followed, and in the late 1930s, Japan invaded China. The Communist Party, led by Mao Tsetung, fought both the Japanese and the Nationalists. The Communists eventually triumphed, founding the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949.

To make the course more engaging, some key events were discussed through films.

Course Coordinator: Dr. Riddhi Bhattacharya

Associate Professor

Dept. of History

Scottish Church College, Kolkata

Producer: Moasunep Kichu

Summary

Course Status :	Upcoming
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	15 weeks
Category :	History
Credit Points :	5
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	13 Jan 2025
End Date :	30 Apr 2025
Enrollment Ends :	28 Feb 2025
Exam Date :	25 May 2025 IST
NCrF Level	5.5
Exam Shift : :	II

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

History of Modern East Asia-1 (c. 1840-1949)

Week 1

Module 1: Social Classes and groups in China

Module 2: Feudalism in China

Module 3: Tributary System

Week 2

Module 4: Confucianism

Module 5: Sino Centrism

Module 6: Canton Trade System I

Week 3

Module 7: Canton Trade System II

Module 8: Opium War-I

Module 9: Treaty of Nanking

Week 4

Module 10: Opium War-II

Modules 11: Opium War through Films

Module 12: Increasing western Economic Interests-The Treaty System

Week 5

Module 13: The Open Door Policy

Module 14: The Taiping Rebellion-I

Module 15: The Taiping Rebellion-II

Week 6

Modules 16: The Taiping Rebellion through Films

Module 17: Tung Chih Restoration

Module 18: Self Strengthening and Reform Movements in China 1860-98

Module 19: Boxer Rebellion-I

Week 7

Module 20: Boxer Rebellion-II

Module 21: Reforms of 1901-08 in China

Module 22: Revolution of 1911 in China part-I

Module 23: Revolution of 1911 in China part-II

Week 8

Modules 24: Revolution of 1911 in China through Films

Module 25: Sun Yat-sen-Principles and Politics-part-I

Module 26: Sum Yat-sen- Principles and Politics - part-II

Modules 27: Life and Works of Sun Yat-sen through Films

Week 9

Module 28: Emergence of the Republic Yuan She-kai and Warlordism-1916-28

Module 29: May Fourth Movement – Part 1

Module 30: May Fourth Movement – Part 2

Modules 31: May Fourth Movement through Films

Week 10

Module 32: Political crisis in China in the 1920s

Module 33: Nature of Industrialization and Changing Social Structure in China

Module 34: Comprador in Chinese society

Module 35: Kuomintang and the First United Front with the Communist Party of China (1924-27)

Week 11

Module 36: The Nanking Govt. under Chiang Kaishek 1928-37

Module 37: Soong Mei-ling, Madame Chiang Kai-shek

Module 38: Tung-Meng Hui

Module 39: Communist Movement in China-I

Week 12

Module 40: Communist Movement in China-II

Module 41: Communist Movement in China-III

Module 42: Mao’s ideas on education and culture

Module 43: Mao’s ideas on revolution

Week 13

Module 44: Peasant movement in Hunan

Module 45: Long March – the political history, socio-cultural implications

Module 46: The Long March through Films

Module 47: The Chinese Labour Movement

Week 14

Module 48: The Chinese Student Movement of 1880-1949

Module 49: Women's Movement and Change of Women's Status in China

Module 50: Paradigm Shifts in Early and Modern Chinese Religion

Module 51: Modern Chinese Literature

Week 15

Module 52: Contemporary Chinese Cinema

Module 53: ‘Age of Awakening’: A Chinese revolutionary drama

Module 54: Modern Chinese Art (1912-1949)

Module 55: Rabindranath Tagore's vision of India and China

Books and references

1. George Allen, A Short Economic History of Japan.

2. Jean Chesneaux, et al, China from Opium War to 1911 Revolution.

3. Jean Chesneaux, et al, China from the 1911 Revolution to Liberation.

4. Tan Chung, Triton and Dragon: Studies on the Nineteenth Century China and Imperialisms.

5. John K. Fairbank, et al., and East Asia: Modern Transformation

6. Y. Immanuel Hsu, The Rise of Modern China.

7. Chalmers A Johnson, Peasant Nationalism and Communist Power: The Emergence of Red China, 1937 - 1945.

8. Nathaniel Peffer, The Far East: A Modern History.

9. Victor Purcell, The Boxer Uprising: A Background Study.

10. Kenneth B. Pyle, The Making of Modern Japan.

11. Franz Schuramann and Orville Schell (eds.), China Readings, 2 Volumes (Imperial China, and Republican China).

12. Benjamin I. Schwartz, Mao and the Rise of Chinese Communism.

13. Hu Sheng, Imperialism and Chinese Politics.

14. Israel Epstein, From Opium war to liberation

15. Edgar Snow, Red star over China

16. Harold Vinacke, The Far East

Instructor bio

Dr. Riddhi Bhattacharya

Scottish Church College, Kolkata

Dr. Riddhi Bhattacharya is presently an Associate Professor in the Department of History at Scottish Church College, Kolkata. She was previously, Ford Foundation Fellow under the Peace Studies Group in the Department of History, University of Calcutta. She has completed PhD. from the University of Calcutta on Sub-regional Cooperation in South Asia. She has written a number of articles and chapters in books on Historical Linkages and Regional and Sub regional Cooperation in South Asia and has presented many papers on national and International Conferences on various issues on International Relations and History. She has also acted as resource persons on a few Faculty Development Program on New Age pedagogy. She has completed various professional courses on pedagogy mostly sponsored by the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia including Harvard Bok Higher Education Teaching Certificate Course . She is currently the convenor of the Peace Studies Cell of Scottish Church College. Her area of interest includes, Peace Education, South and East Asia’s geopolitics and higher education pedagogy.