Chinese Mandarins Versus European Merchants

Chinese mandarins have often been presented historically as contemptuous of the very sight of European merchants. The Europeans had guns and cannon, silver, bigger ships, modern technology, `haughtiness?, and above all the backing of their governments. How did they meet each other? And how was the history of the encounter played out? This seminar deals with this love/hate history during the four centuries before the 1911 Revolution. Students will read the rich variety of letters, memoirs, journals, newspaper reports, and translated archives that give detailed accounts of the encounters. We will discuss broader questions fundamental to the course, such as state-merchant relations, different worldviews, and the political issues of translation. We will also examine the cultural, economic, religious and legal aspects of these encounters.