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Episodes
- S1 E1 - Opium, Trade, and War in Imperial ChinaSeptember 21, 201731minBegin by examining a pervasive symbol of late imperial China: opium. Learn about the history of opium use, the ritual of opium smoking, and the luxurious opium culture of the Chinese elite. Note how opium became inextricably linked with imperial culture, society, and economics. Chart the role of the British opium trade, the Opium Wars, and Chinese measures to eradicate the drug. #HistoryFree trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E2 - The First Emperor's Terra-Cotta WarriorsSeptember 21, 201731minUncover the story behind the famous terra-cotta warriors, one of China's most celebrated archaeological treasures. Travel into daily life in the Qin Dynasty, China's first empire; encounter the emperor Qinshi Huangdi, builder of the warriors, and observe his highly bureaucratic and technocratic regime. Explore the site of the terra-cotta army, and how the extraordinary clay figures were made.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E3 - China's Early Golden Age: The Han DynastySeptember 21, 201730minEnter the lives of the Han nobility - China's second imperial dynasty - through their tombs, whose fabulous artifacts bear witness to their lavish lifestyle, diet, and concern for learning. Take account of the Han golden age, during which essential imperial institutions were established and Han territories were expanded. Also take note of the rise of a new and powerful scholarly elite.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E4 - Amazing Ban Clan: Historian, Soldier, WomanSeptember 21, 201731minThree extraordinary siblings stand out in China's imperial history. Follow the lives of Han-era twin brothers Ban Gu and Ban Chao, and their remarkable sister Ban Zhao. Investigate Ban Gu's life of learning and his important writing on history and governmental policy. Note Ban Chao's illustrious military career and achievements, and Ban Zhao's significant impact as a scholar, teacher, and poet.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E5 - China's Buddhist Monks and Daoist ReclusesSeptember 21, 201732minBuddhism and Daoism played integral roles in the culture of imperial China. Learn about the origins of Chinese Buddhism, the monastic life in China, and the historic travels of the Buddhist monk Faxian. Then study the emergence of Daoism and its traditions of metaphysical exploration and the rustic, natural life, as seen in the works of Tao Yuanming, imperial China's first great poet.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E6 - Cosmopolitan Chang'an: Tang Dynasty CapitalSeptember 21, 201730minTravel to the golden age of Chang'an, the medieval world's most resplendent city. Uncover its structure, its grand boulevards, and its stunning palatial, official, and religious architecture. Investigate the city's diverse population and its districts, parks, and pleasure quarters. Visit Chang'an's iconic Eastern and Western markets, and take account of the factors in the city's ultimate undoing.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E7 - China's Grand Canal: Lifeline of an EmpireSeptember 21, 201731minTrack the historical significance and changing fortunes of the Grand Canal. Beginning in the Sui Dynasty, explore the evolution and engineering of the canal system and its vital role in imperial economics, politics, and culture. Learn about its maintenance and management, its varied personnel, and how the health of the canal directly mirrored the political health of the empire.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E8 - Triumph and Tragedy in Tang PoetrySeptember 21, 201730minDelve into the aristocratic society of the Tang Dynasty and the particular social and political meaning given to poetry within this world. See how poetry of various genres was used within specific social contexts, in the example of court poet Wang Wei. Follow the fortunes of beloved Tang poets Li Bai and Du Fu, as they embodied the vogue and singular significance of poetry in Chinese culture.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E9 - Life and Times of Song Dynasty LiteratiSeptember 21, 201731minIn the Song Dynasty, classical literacy and the civil service examinations were the path to official position. Here, trace the lives of two celebrated literati who emerged from this system. First meet Su Shi, passionate public servant, fun-loving style setter, and man of letters. Contrast Su's life with that of Zhu Xi, probing moral philosopher and architect of Neo-Confucianism.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E10 - A Day's Journey along the Qingming ScrollSeptember 21, 201730minThis lecture reveals life in the Song Dynasty by means of the Qingming Shanghetu, a renowned painted scroll of the early 12th century. Reading the 17-foot scroll sequentially, travel through its vivid imagery of people, animals, buildings, vehicles, and landscapes, as it depicts scenes of daily life and conveys the remarkable technological, cultural, and economic sophistication of the Song.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E11 - Peasant Life on the Yellow RiverSeptember 21, 201731minDiscover the vital farming communities of the Yellow River watershed. Study the culture of farming and rural society, and delve into how peasants lived - their dwellings, clothing, diet, work and gender roles, and family structures. Take account of the hardships faced by peasants through taxation and corrupt local officialdom and of the natural and manmade disasters that plagued rural populations.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E12 - Rice, Silk, and Tea: South China's PeasantsSeptember 21, 201730minLearn about the process of wet-rice cultivation, as it shaped the daily lives of Southern peasants, from paddy preparation and irrigation to planting, weeding, and final harvesting. Then investigate tea growing and how peasants processed the leaves into different tea varieties. Finally, study Chinese silk production, taking note of the role of women in both the silk and tea industries.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E13 - Genghis Khan and the Rise of the MongolsSeptember 21, 201732minLook deeply into the life of Temujin, who became the fearsome Genghis Khan. Investigate the steppe culture of the Northern tribal warriors who would conquer China and their nomadic lifestyle of herding and raiding. Trace Temujin's phenomenal rise to power as he gathered massive legions of tribal followers, founding the Mongol Empire. Explore social and political life among the Mongols.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E14 - The Mongols and Marco Polo in XanaduSeptember 21, 201730minThe century-long era known as the Pax Mongolica was a time of extraordinary East-West trade and cross-cultural communication. Learn about this epoch through the remarkable journeys of Marco Polo and his family, the missionary Giovanni de Montecorvino, the Nestorian priest and diplomat Rabban Bar Sauma, and others, as they reveal the astonishing multiculturalism of the Mongol world.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E15 - Admiral Zheng He's Treasure FleetSeptember 21, 201731minTake to the seas with Ming-era Admiral Zheng He, whose travels on behalf of the emperor Yongle were the stuff of legend. Witness life aboard Zheng's huge treasure ships, nine-masted behemoths laden with luxury goods. Follow the commander's seven voyages, as he ventured to points beyond to proclaim the glories of the Ming court and to enlarge its cultural and economic power.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E16 - China's Bound Feet, Brides, and WidowsSeptember 21, 201732minIn exploring the experience of women in imperial China, learn about the customs surrounding traditional married life, such as the painful practice of foot binding, the process of betrothal and marriage arrangements, the wedding festivities, and the duties and lifestyle of a wife. Also investigate the social ideal of the chaste widow and its shadow, the luxurious world of courtesans.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E17 - Ming Dynasty Trade and Spanish SilverSeptember 21, 201734minVisit the teeming port of Manila, where the 16th century influx of Spanish silver made the city a vibrant hub of East-West exchange. Observe how the import of New World silver and crops to China sparked a remarkable period of prosperous living. Note the proliferation of restaurants, travel guides, fashion, leisure activities, commercial sex, and popular religion that characterized the era.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E18 - The Great Wall and Military Life in ChinaSeptember 21, 201732minDelve into the lives of soldiers under the Ming, often incorrectly viewed as an un-martial dynasty. Learn about military culture, weaponry, and lifestyle under 14th century warlord Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming Dynasty. Contrast this military era with that of the 16th century, when commercialization and technology gave rise to both the Great Wall and to remarkably modern Ming armies.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E19 - Qing Dynasty: Soul Stealers and SeditionSeptember 21, 201731minWitness the national hysteria that ensued from accusations that masons and other undesirables were stealing human souls. Investigate the public fear of sorcery, and the emperor's fear of sedition, which fueled the turmoil. Follow Emperor Qianlong's handling of the crisis, as it reveals the workings of the Qing justice system and the emperor's deep engagement with the empire's moral well-being.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E20 - Emperor Qianlong Hosts a British AmbassadorSeptember 21, 201731minAt the emperor's palatial summer residence in 1793, visit the imperial kitchens, as chefs and culinary workers from around the empire prepare a banquet of epic proportions. Learn about the staggering scale of the operation of the Imperial Buttery, which fed the emperor's household, and how a dazzling imperial feast served as the backdrop for a key diplomatic engagement.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E21 - The Taiping Rebellion and Its Cult LeaderSeptember 21, 201732minThe mid 19th century saw both foreign invasion and a revolt that sought to remake Chinese society. Follow the underlying social unrest in South China, and the rise of the charismatic leader Hong Xiuquan, who fomented a rebellion based in religious fanaticism. Observe the military prowess of the rebels, the massive size of the conflict, and how it unfolded as the bloodiest civil war in history.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E22 - China's Treaty PortsSeptember 21, 201731minFollowing the Opium War of 1842, a range of Chinese seaports were opened to foreign trade and foreign residence. Learn about the colorful history of these ports, how they became enmeshed in a global labor trade, and how they functioned as Euro-Asian hybrid cities. Grasp how the treaty ports were emblematic of a period of economic and political domination by foreigners.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E23 - Experiencing China's Civil Service ExamsSeptember 21, 201731minFor centuries, the imperial civil service exams selected candidates for important government positions. Trace the dramatic history of the examinations, which involved years of intensive study, a grueling testing ordeal, and life-changing benefits for the successful. Take account of the profound social and cultural significance of the exams and their role in the administration of the empire.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
- S1 E24 - China's Last Dynasty: Fall of the ManchusSeptember 21, 201737minFinally, examine the factors that led to the dissolution of China's empire. Contrast the powerful military machine of the early Manchu dynasty with its degradation by the 19th century. Grasp how the three pillars of Manchu power - its military, its cultural/economic influence, and its subjects' loyalty - were systematically undermined, culminating in the abdication of the last emperor in 1912.Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection or buy
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