Session 10 - May 12

[Taylor Bub]

I thought this was interesting too. I remember being in seventh grade and my history teacher taught us what foot binding was and explained it as if it was something to be laughed at.  But if you look at how the process was completed and the results, you can see that it is actually excruciatingly painful.   I teach anatomy and physiology right now and I have a unit where we discuss bones and hwo they develop.  I think in the future I will add in activities where students can view x-rays or other images of the bones of bound feet.  This way students can see the results of foot binding and understand how terrible of a practice it was for those who had to endure it.  I have included a link below that shows a typical foot x ray vs an x ray of a person who had their foot bound.  This would be good to use to have students make connections across the curriculum.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043316302710

[clay dube]

Excellent points about possible uses of these primary sources and the possible need to steer clear of them. I noted that Marco Polo inspired Columbus and is among the most widely distributed and translated texts. I highlighted a couple comic book versions. I've not tried, but perhaps your students might, to compare them with more traditional texts.

(1946)
https://archive.org/details/ClassicsIllustrated027TheAdventuresOfMarcoPolo

[clay dube]

Footbinding is an important topic. It's not clear what portion of women in various periods had bound feet. It seems that in the last several centuries that it was not generally practiced in rice growing regions of the South. Women there worked in the fields and bound feet were an impediment. Wealthier families, where women wouldn't work in the fields, did bind women's feet. In the North, where women often only worked at home and not in the fields, footbinding was more widespread. Major ethnic minorities did not bind women's feet.
Here's a post I wrote a long time ago on the topic: https://china.usc.edu/comment/26841#comment-26841

[Todd Rutley]

Iron Production Boom in Song Dynasty: An inspiration for the Great Leap Forward and the 2000-2020 Steel Production Surge in China?

Introduction/Context/Disclosures

This note was inspired by Professor Dube’s references in video #1 (5:37) to the large increase in iron production in the Song Dynasty and how this strengthened the overall economy.

The comparison with the 1950s was influenced by Donald Wagner’s paper “The Great Leap Forward in Iron and Steel’1958–60”.

The comparison with the current 2000-20220 period in China was influenced by the increasing concentration of global steel manufacturing in China. 

Historical themes reflected in this note include:

-           Periods of economic innovation vs. stagnation

-           The rise and fall of countries and empires

-           Periods of international openness vs. more closed periods

-           Periods of national strengthening vs. periods of weakening

-           How societies evolve/progress through challenge and response

...continues in attached PDF

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[Deirdre Harris]

Hi Sean,  I also was thinking about how to create a good debate in my classroom, with my upper-grade class, and think this would be a great topic.  You are right in saying that they would have to do a lot of preparation in advance, learning about not only European history, but Chinese history, and more in order to pull it off effectively.  I was looking over my own research about if there really was a Marco Polo, and if so, did he really go to China?  It seems tht since the 17th century, people have been doubting his story, and pointing out his errors, and omissions, such as "The Great Wall of China, Tea, the Chinese Alphabet, chopsticks, or foot-binding" in China.  Many scholars believe that he left out important places, and got many locations wrong as well.  But either way, I think whether it's authentic or not, we have all still achieved the sharing of the culture, and the learning and teaching that he hopefully intended to share with the world.  

[Deirdre Harris]

I just finished reading the passage of the Yangzhou massacre and it was difficult to process, and take it all in.  Descriptions of the horror and death witnessed by the author, and the hundreds of close calls he had with death were difficult to hear.  It seemed to start slowly, and over the course of just a 10 day span, he had lost many relatives through cruel and violent methods.  He witnessed much death and cruelness to all people, but especially as Jennifer mentions, to women.  They were made to be humiliated and perform many acts against their will, and the attackers didn't seem to care.  Interestingly enough, at some point, this storyteller at one point comes face  to face with an opponent, and they are given respite to a nearby home to get new clothes and eat.  They were spared somehow after hiding through most of the massacre, him in an upper bunk of a bed compartment, while hearing awful things happening below him.  He met up with what remained of his family, but realized he had lost so many of his relatives. He seemed to be writing for posterity and history as a method of passing this down to his children so that they would not take for granted a peaceful existance they would soon enjoy.  Quite the story.  These types of stories need to be told, and are a perfect example of what we teach our students to be "Primary Sources" and are quite rare.  A lesson for my 4th graders could be comparing this type of Primary Resource, to one in our 4th grade curriculum that comes to mind about "Pliny the Younger" who chronicled his experience of escaping from Mount Vesuvius in the terrible Volcano disaster.  They could compare them, and possibly find others that are similar in histories from other countries and places.  I would have them work in groups for best results.  

[Deirdre Harris]

I so enjoyed reading the Letter by Emperor Quialong to King George III, with its "Polite Insults" and how it must have been difficult for the King to figure out just how to react.  But the letter in itself is a work of a master writer.  To praise your pursuer, while humiliating him all at the same time with a sense of humor, but at the same time, being deadly serious, was masterful in my opinion.  Like Morgan above says, at the end of the letter, the Emperor delivers a harsh warning to "Tremblingly obey and show no neglilgence..."  To be rebuffed by what King George saw as a weaker country than England, who won't do as requested, must have been quite the shock.  I remember that Jennifer also had mentioned the day we briefly touched on it in class, that her class would have fun reading through it together.  I see myself using this letter in a group read-through, to go through it bit-by-bit, insult-by insult, and have the students try to figure out how the Emperor was able to write a letter that sounds polite, but is really a "No Thanks" without the thanks.

Shakespeare, is another type of writing that needs the help of a seasoned teacher to help students decipher certain passages, and In my mind, I see how students could compare these two types of important writings where the true meaning is difficult to discern.  This would help them to become better writers, by examining dense writings, and possibly find more as a project to be researched.  Many have said that this is when the Opioid Wars began.  Thanks for sharing this very incredible, and valuable resource with us.  

[Bin He]

If the Song Dynasty is generally an outward and open dynasty, then the Ming Dynasty is inwardly closed.

To consolidate the new regime, Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, implemented a policy of stabilizing the country and closing the border to consolidate control. Before he died, seeing his children fighting for power, he handed over power to the loyal and honest Emperor Hui, and found an excuse to send the strongest Zhu Di far away. When Emperor Hui was in power, everything was done by the established policy of the Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang. Four years later, Zhu Di replaced Emperor Hui and became an ancestor. Ming Chengzu Zhu Di changed Zhu Yuanzhang’s policy of keeping the country in peace and keeping the country closed, and instead implemented the fundamental national policy of prospering the country, strengthening the army, and opening up to the outside world. Then he encouraged private business and ordered Zheng He to organize a vast expedition activity. The opening of the sea border and Zheng He's navigation greatly stimulated the development of science and technology, economy, national defense, and national culture at that time. After more than 20 years of doing this, China has once again experienced unprecedented prosperity and dominance after the Han and Tang Dynasties, that is, the famous Yongle Year in history. The representative of the development of cultural undertakings is "Yongle Dadian", and the representative of the country's comprehensive strength is Zheng He's journey to the West.

 

[Anastasia Brown]

When I first learned about the expeditions of China during the Ming Dynasty, it was astonishing. We were never taught about these and I didn't actually know about them until college. I make sure to teach about him and these expeditions, and in the light of how China is currently treating its Muslim population. That he was a enunch and a Muslim. That as well that after he returned all the or the majority of the charts were either destroyed or not allowed to be used. I liked the term they used fo this time in China's history as the pendelum swinging shut. That he was able to help China establish and extend their commerical influence. I always make sure to discuss this in class with my students and do a comparison of the size of Zheng He's ships to the European ships. This is a part of what I added in my world history class when we are looking at the age of exploration. We start with China, and what they explored, brought back and trade routes they established then continue to the Europeans. 

[Cynthia Jackson]

Sean, I like your idea of potentially making this a DBQ. Good sources and an engaging prompt always make DBQs more accessible for our 7th graders. Since we’ll probably teach part of the East Asia unit in the spring next year (after Model U.N.), I wonder if we could make this into a practice DBQ to help them learn time management and outlining skills (similar to what I did with the colonialism in Africa DBQ). Some of the sources listed on this page like the map, timeline, paintings, and an excerpt from his book could make good sources. It would be a good idea to add a couple of primary sources about the Yuan empire around the same time period and a secondary source that casts doubt on the validity of Marco Polo having ever visited China. Then students would have to reference four sources as they answer the question: Did Marco Polo go to China? Explain why or why not. When students finish analyzing the sources in pairs, groups, or as a class, then we could teach them how to outline an essay and have them practice finishing the body paragraphs over two more days. Source: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/big-history-project/expansion-interconnection/exploration-interconnection/a/marco-polo

[Bin He]

Seeing my classmates discussing the problem of little feet reminded me of the little feet that appeared on Chinese TV in recent years-many TV dramas about the Qing Dynasty. Perhaps many people would be curious that the end of the Qing Dynasty was a kind of national scar for many Chinese people. Why are Qing palace dramas appearing in large numbers and popular in recent years? Let me talk about my views:

1. Sufficient reference materials.

On the one hand, because the Qing Dynasty is the closest dynasty to modern times. Detailed cultural relics and historical materials provide the possibility of filming and reproducing sophisticated dramas; on the other hand, rumors, legends, secret history, and unofficial history circulating in the market have become "references" for the narratives of official history.

2. Easier to pass the review by the Bureau of Radio, Film, and Television

Historical dramas need to undergo very strict censorship in China, especially modern and modern historical dramas. For directors, there are too many untouchable topics. However, to a large extent, there is no need to worry too much about the court dramas of the Qing Dynasty or the cross dramas that are changed based on the online text.

3. The impact of female consumers

Unlike the female images portrayed in traditional film and television works, the female images that tend to be shaped and displayed in film and television works in the Internet age are often "liberated women." In historical dramas of the Qing Dynasty, female roles are often full of dissatisfaction and resistance to the present. These characters are set to a certain extent to cater to the psychological needs of women at the moment. Therefore, the ratings of palace dramas have always been high, and in turn, the market will prioritize the production of Qing palace dramas.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Television_series_set_in_the_Qing_dynasty

 

 

[Bin He]

Seeing that there are descriptions of the Song Dynasty culture in the video, I also want to discuss my views on the Song Dynasty. Because in the eyes of many people, the Tang Dynasty is the only pinnacle of Chinese culture in China. But in fact, there were many milestones in the development of Chinese civilization during the Song Dynasty:

 

From the perspective of urban design, in the capital city of Kaifeng at that time, there was a military patrol shop 300 meters apart in each street and lane, and there were five soldiers in the shop responsible for public security patrols. In other words, tens of thousands of soldiers need to be deployed throughout the city. Every corner of Kaifeng was built with bricks at high places to build Wanghuo Building. There were people watching day and night, and more than 100 soldiers were stationed downstairs to be responsible for fire prevention.

 

From the social welfare system perspective, the Song Dynasty may be the dynasty with the complete social welfare in Chinese history. All scholars who studied at school received government subsidies for students. Orphanages are set up in various places to support them for life. If the poor are sick and have no money for treatment, there are national shelters to keep them alive and provide free medical care and medicine. After their death, the government will help them find vacant land as a cemetery.

However, solid social welfare is supported by ordinary people's taxes, and the burden of the Song Dynasty middle class is relatively heavy.

Reference:

Emperor Huizong –by Patricia Buckley Ebrey

 

 

 

[Bin He]

 

In the short time from 1405 to 1433 AD, the boat navy commanded by Zheng He made seven valorous voyages throughout the Chinese Sea and the Indian Ocean, from Taiwan to the Persian Gulf, and far beyond the hearts of the Chinese. The Eldorado in China-Africa. Although China learned of the existence of Europe from Arab merchants, Europe, the "Far West", can only provide wool and wine, which is unattractive to them. During these 30 years, foreign goods, medicines, and geographical knowledge have been imported into China at an unprecedented speed; relatively, China has also extended its political space and influence throughout the Indian Ocean. At that time, half of the world was in China's control, plus an invincible navy. If China wants it, the other half is not difficult to become China's sphere of influence. Thus, in the 100 years before the advent of Europe's era of great adventure and significant expansion, China has the opportunity to become a colonial power in the world.

But history always has its script. After Zhu Di, Renzong Zhu Gaochi and Xuanzong Zhu Zhanji followed Confucian officials' advice and believed that the ban on going to the West and opening the sea would hurt the national cultural traditions and Confucian custom. As a result, they reintroduced the seashore ban, forced Zheng He to stop sailing, restricted private merchants, and prohibited private trade with foreigners. And China began a long period of close-doors for nearly 500 years.

 

 

 

 

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