This is an introductory course to Chinese history. The first half of the class deals with the formation of the country's intellectual traditions, empire-building processes, and the characteristic orientation of Chinese society to family, locality, and education. We will also look at how the successive government of late imperial China dealt with the strains of growing population and a fast changing society. The second half of the course will consider how China met and mastered the challenges of the 19th and the 20th centuries. We will conclude the class by discussing the government and society of the People's Republic of China against the background of these challenges. Required readings for the class includes Patricia Ebrey, China: A Cultural, Social, and Political History and Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook and book chapters and articles. Final Grades for the class will be based on short response papers, quizzes, a term paper, and a final exam. No prior knowledge of Chinese history is required. This course fulfills the College's second writing and non-Western and historical perspective requirements.