Northern Arizona University
College of Arts and Letters
Department of History
Spring 2026
HISTORY 251: MAKING OF MODERN ASIA
Instructor: SANJAY JOSHI Meetings: MWF 11:30 -12:20 pm, LA 321
Office: LA 206
Phone: 523-6216
Office Hours: Mon-Fri 12:25-1:25 pm
E-mail: Sanjay.Joshi@nau.edu
and by appointment
Course
Web page: http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~sj6/makingmodernasia.html
A Liberal Studies Course in the Social and Political Worlds
Block. Fulfills NAU’s Global Diversity Requirement. Policy Statements at: https://nau.edu/university-policy-library/syllabus-requirements/
A COPY OF THIS SYLLABUS CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON THE COURSE WEB PAGE
Course Description
This course examines transformations in the lives of people,
economies, and governments in Asia from the 18th century to the mid-20th
century. We use China, India, and Japan as case studies to
understand how they were, in different ways, brought in contact with, and then
subordinated to the interests of more powerful Western powers. We examine the
transformations in the political economy of these three areas of Asia as a result of their interaction with Western colonialism,
and the different strategies they adopted to overcome and adapt to the changes
they confronted. We seek to understand how and why the three places saw
such different outcomes by the middle of the 20th century. The
aim of the course is not so much a mastery of the histories of three different
nation-states, but rather to understand the connections (expressed through similarity and differences) which
went into the making of modern Asia until the middle of the twentieth century.
Course Structure/Approach
The format of the course consists of lectures and formal and
informal discussions. Students are encouraged to raise questions and make
comments throughout the course.
Required Books
1. Barbara and Thomas Metcalf. Concise History of Modern India. Third
Edition. Cambridge, 2006. Available as
an ebook to be checked out from Cline Library. This is a direct link to the book.
2.
Ranbir Vohra. China's Path
to Modernization. Third Edition. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice
Hall, 2000. Relevant chapters available as links on schedule, below.
3.
Kenneth B. Pyle. The Making
of Modern Japan. Second Edition. Lexington, Mass., Toronto: D. C. Heath and
Company, 1996. Relevant chapters available as links on schedule, below.
IN ADDITION, other sections of books, journal articles, short stories, films
or videos will be used for this course, and will be
made available electronically either through the course webpage or Canvas, as
appropriate.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will not only be familiar with
the broad contours of the political, social, and cultural history of Asia from
ca. 1750 to ca. 1945, but also be able to do the following:
a. Critically read and interpret histories of India, China, and
Japan and make arguments about the connections between these histories.
b. Combine evidence
from a variety of historical sources to get a sense of life in the times and
places they are reading about.
c. Be able to present a cogent argument well supported by evidence in
exams, discussions, and most important, the final paper.
Student
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course:
I.
Students will have learned,
through reading, attending and taking notes at lectures, and participating in discussions,
a general and thematic framework for analyzing and interpreting the historical
experience of the people of India, China and Japan from the 18th to
the 20th century and the broad contours of the empirical historical
data on and related to that experience.
II.
Through the quizzes,
students will demonstrate their knowledge of the basic historical data and the
fundamental interpretive ideas that they have learned from the reading and from
lectures that pertain to specific thematic topics in the historical experience
of India, China and Japan in the period covered by the course
III.
Through the discussions,
students will demonstrate competency in reading texts and examining ideas
critically, interpreting different arguments and perspectives on Indian,
Chinese and Japanese history and evaluating the merits of these historical
and/or historiographical arguments.
IV.
Through the term paper
exercise, students will learn to synthesize evidence from a variety of sources
and genres of sources to present interpretive portrayals of life experiences of
the people of India, China, and Japan in the historical context of the period
covered by this course.
V.
In writing papers,
conducting research, preparing for participation in discussions, students will
present cogent arguments, listen and respond to other people’s arguments,
support viewpoints by evidence, and critique as well as defend their own as
well as other people’s points of view.
Assessment of Outcomes
The course uses primarily three types of instruments to assess your achievement
of the learning objectives listed above: Five
Quizzes (50% of the total points for the course, 10 % each), one medium-length
paper (25% of the total course grade), and a response paper connecting extracts from Amitav Ghosh’s
novel, River of Smoke to
the early part of the course material (15%). Ten percent of your course grade
will be evaluated
on the basis of your attendance and participation in the class and discussion groups. The quizzes will draw on
material from the prescribed books for the course and may also have map-based
questions to test your grasp
of geography of modern Asian history. The paper is designed
to test your
ability to read critically and think creatively about the material on modern Asian
history, and to be able to
present it effectively in appropriate prose.
Assignments and
Exams
I. Term Paper: You will write
one 5 to 8 page analytical final paper comparing
themes across the course. The paper will be assigned
on March 26 and is due on April
25.
II. Five Online Quizzes: The first three will focus on histories of
India, China and Japan covered to the respective points in the course. The last
two will be more comparative in nature.
III. A 3 page response paper based
on extracts from Amitav Ghosh’s novel, River of Smoke. Assigned February 8th, due February 29th
IV. Class
Participation:
My subjective assessment of your attendance and participation in class activities
(including two informal discussions), will count toward
10 % of the total course grade.
Grading System
Grades for the course will be
determined according to the following criteria:
Five Online Quizzes 50%
Response Paper on Extract
from River of Smoke 15%
Final Comparative Paper 25%
Class Attendance & Participation 10%
6 % on Two Discussions; 4% on attendance
TOTAL FOR COURSE 100%
The grading scale
for the course will be as follows:
90%+ = A;
80 - 89%= B; 70-79%= C; 60-69%= D; below 60%= F.
EVALUATION
The
grading scale for the course will be
as follows:
90+ = A; 80 - 89= B; 70-79= C;
60-69= D; below 60= F.
Course Policies
ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE ON CANVAS ON DAYS OUTLINED IN THE
SCHEDULE BELOW, usually by end of day, but check the specific submission dates
for each assignment.
PLEASE NOTE: I do not give extensions, incompletes, or make-up exams, except
in cases allowed for by University Policy.
Plagiarism or other
forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in any of the assignments
and will result in failing the course. Please consult the section on “Academic
Integrity” and “Artificial Intelligence” in the NAU Policy Statements appended to this syllabus for further
details. IT IS THE STUDENTS' RESPONSIBILITY TO FAMILIARIZE HERSELF/HIMSELF WITH
THESE MATTERS AS DEFINED BY THE UNIVERSITY.
Attendance and Punctuality
Regular attendance is even more crucial than usual for all
courses. Absences will be excused either based on medical documentation, or in
cases allowed for by University policies. In rare cases, I will excuse absences
for personal reasons, but these need to be discussed and approved by me,
ideally in advance. I will allow for TWO unexcused absences over the semester. Beyond
that you start losing participation points. More than FIVE unexcused absences
over the semester will AUTOMATICALLY result in a failing grade, regardless of
your performance in assignments. If you think your University-related
activities, such as field trips, debates, athletic competitions or training
might mean you will miss more than three classes during this semester, my
advice would be not to take the course.
Whatever your reasons for arriving late or missing a class, it is
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to arrange to contact a classmate and find out what
happened in that class. I encourage you to form small “study groups” or at
least make a “class buddy” whom you can contact for information about classes
missed, study with for the exams, and discuss the proceedings of the class.
In General
I expect you to come to class having done all the required reading
and prepared to engage in discussion. I want you to be motivated to learn about
the subject and to improve your skills as a historian. I will do my best to
help you understand more about the subject. What you make of this course,
however, is ultimately entirely up to you.
PROVISIONAL
SCHEDULE I expect all students to have
completed the readings assigned for the days below BEFORE coming to class.
(All dates,
readings and assignments subject to change. Depending on how we progress, I
reserve the right to change the schedule or even the assigned readings for the
course)
Introduction
January 12-14 Introduction to the
Course.
PART
I: Toward Western Hegemony
January 14-23 India: The Emergence and Consolidation of British Power.
Readings: Metcalf and Metcalf,
pp. 29-91.
Tentative Schedule: Jan. 14-16: pp. 29-55 (chapter 2).
Jan.
19: MLK Day holiday
.
Jan.
21: pp. 56-81
Jan.
23: pp. 81-91.
Quiz One Assigned January 23, due END OF DAY January 30
January 26 -February 4 China: The Manchus, Traditional Chinese Society, and pressure from the
West.
Readings: Vohra, chapters 1, 2, 3.
Tentative Schedule: Jan 26-28: Chapter One.
Jan
28-30: Chapter Two.
Feb.
2-4: Chapter Three.
Quiz Two Assigned February 4, due END OF DAY, February 11
February 6-9 Connections between India and China: Opium
Trade
Readings: Selections from Amitav Ghosh’s novel, River
of Smoke.
Response Paper on River of Smoke Assigned February 9th,
due END OF DAY March 6
February 11-18 Japan: The Tokugawa
Shogunate and its downfall.
Readings: Pyle, pp. 1-74.
Tentative Schedule: Feb. 11-13: pp. 1-27 (chapters ONE and TWO).
Feb.
16-18: pp. 29-74 (chapters THREE, FOUR and FIVE).
Discussion # 1 Questions Assigned February 16th.
Quiz Three Assigned February 18, due END OF DAY February 25th
February 20 Comparative Colonial Experiences and Early
Responses.
Readings: Revise all chapters from Metcalf and
Metcalf, Vohra, Pyle, and Ghosh (selections).
February 23 Discussion #1
PART
II: Colonialism, Reform, and Nationalism (Please keep in
mind that the reading schedule, and the overall pace of the course becomes more
challenging than in part I, and remains so till the end of the semester)
February 25-March 4 Colonialism
and Early Response in India.
Reminder: Assignment
Response
Paper on River of Smoke, due END OF DAY, March
6
Readings: Metcalf and Metcalf, pp. 92-166.
Tentative Schedule: Feb. 25-27: pp. 92-120.
March
2: SKIM pp. 120-122 and READ pp. 123-166.
March 4 No Class Meeting:
Watch: “Imperialism: Crash Course World History #35” John
Green, Crash Course in World History, #35
March 6 Catch up. No Class Meeting if we are
on schedule.
March
9-13 SPRING
BREAK
March 16-27 Nationalist Revolutions in China.
Readings: Vohra, chapters FOUR,
FIVE,
and SIX.
Schedule March 16-18 Vohra
Chapter FOUR
March
20-23 Vohra Chapter FIVE
March
25-27 Vohra Chapter SIX
TERM PAPER ASSIGNED March 27 (DUE April
27 on Canvas by end of day)
March 30-April 10 Meiji Nationalism in Japan.
Readings: Pyle, chapters Six,
Seven, Eight.
Schedule March 30: Chapter Six
April 1-3 NO
CLASS MEETING, catch up on your readings
Watch “Samurai,
Daimyo, Matthew Perry, and Nationalism” John Green, Crash Course World History #34
April 6:
Chapter Seven
April
8-10: Chapter Eight
Discussion # 2 Questions
Assigned April 3.
April 13 Discussion #2
Quiz Four Assigned April 10th, due April 17th by
end of day
PART
III: Asia in the Modern World: Revolutions and Empires
April 15-20 India: Toward Independence.
Readings: Metcalf and
Metcalf, pp. 167-230.
Tentative Schedule: April 15: pp. 166-202.
April
17-20: pp. 203-230.
April 22-27 Japan: Toward Authoritarianism and
Imperialism.
Readings: Pyle, chapters Nine, Ten, and Eleven.
Tentative Schedule One chapter a class period.
Assignment
Due
April 27: TERM PAPER DUE!
April 29-May 1 China: Toward Socialist Revolution.
Readings: Vohra, chapters Seven and Eight.
Schedule One chapter a class period.
Watch: “Communists,
Nationalists, and China's Revolutions” John Green, Crash Course World History #37
Quiz Five Assigned April 29th, due May 4th
by end of day
THERE
IS NO FINAL EXAM FOR THIS CLASS
Syllabus Requirements
Syllabus Policy Statements
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
NAU expects every student to firmly adhere to
a strong ethical code of academic integrity in all their scholarly pursuits. The primary attributes of academic integrity are honesty, trustworthiness, fairness, and responsibility. As a student, you are expected to submit original work while
giving proper credit to other people’s ideas or contributions. Acting with
academic integrity means completing your assignments independently while
truthfully acknowledging all sources of information, or collaboration with
others when appropriate. When you submit your work, you are implicitly declaring that the work is your own. Academic integrity
is expected not only during
formal coursework, but in all your relationships or interactions that are connected to the educational enterprise. All forms of academic deceit such as
plagiarism, cheating, collusion, falsification or fabrication of results or
records, permitting your work to be submitted by another, or inappropriately
recycling your own work from one class to another, constitute academic
misconduct that may result in serious disciplinary consequences. All students
and faculty members are responsible for reporting suspected instances of
academic misconduct. All students are encouraged to complete the online course
entitled Academic Integrity @NAU for Students found in their Canvas
Dashboard and review the full NAU Academic Integrity Policy.
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies
bring both opportunities and challenges. Ensuring honesty in academic work
creates a culture of integrity and expectations of ethical behavior. The use of
these technologies can depend on the instructional setting, varying by faculty
member, program, course, and assignment. Please refer to course policies, any
additional course-specific guidelines in the syllabus, or communicate with the
instructor to understand expectations. NAU recognizes the role that these technologies
will play in the current and future careers of our graduates and expects
students to practice responsible and ethical use of AI technologies to assist
with learning within the confines of course policies.
COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT
All lectures and course materials, including
but not limited to exams, quizzes, study outlines, and similar materials are
protected by copyright. These materials may not be shared, uploaded,
distributed, reproduced, or publicly displayed without the express written
permission of NAU. Sharing materials on websites such as Course Hero, Chegg, or
related websites is considered copyright infringement subject to United States
Copyright Law and a violation of NAU Student Code of Conduct. For more
information on ABOR policies relating to course materials, please refer to ABOR Policy 6-908 A(2)(5).
COURSE TIME COMMITMENT
Pursuant to Arizona Board of Regents guidance (ABOR Policy 2-224, Academic Credit), each unit of credit
requires a minimum of 45 hours of work by students, including but not limited
to, class time, preparation, homework, and studying. For example, for a
3-credit course a student should expect to work at least 8.5 hours each week in a 16-week session
and a minimum of 33 hours per week for a 3-credit
course in a 4-week session.
DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR
Membership in NAU’s academic
community entails a special obligation to maintain class environments that are
conductive to learning, whether instruction is taking place in the classroom, a
laboratory or clinical setting, during course-related fieldwork, or online.
Students have the obligation to engage in the educational process in a manner
that does not interfere with normal class activities or violate the rights of
others. For more information, see the Student Code of Conduct policy.
NONDISCRIMINATION AND ANTI-HARASSMENT
NAU prohibits discrimination and harassment
based on sex, gender, gender identity, race, color, age, national origin, religion,
sexual orientation, disability, veteran status and
genetic information. Certain
consensual amorous or sexual relationships between faculty and students are
also prohibited as set forth in the Consensual
Romantic and Sexual Relationships policy. The Equity and Access Office
(EAO) responds to complaints regarding discrimination
and harassment that fall under NAU’s Nondiscrimination
and Anti- Harassment policy. To
report a concern related to possible unlawful discrimination or harassment or
to request a time to meet, please use the Report an Issue Form. To
file a complaint, please submit the online Complaint Form. EAO
also assists with religious accommodations. To request a religious
accommodation, please use the Religious Accommodation Request Intake Form. EAO
additionally provides access to lactation spaces, and please use to the Lactation Space Request Form to request use of a location.
For additional information about nondiscrimination or anti-harassment, contact
EAO at EquityandAccess@nau.edu, or visit the EAO website
at https://nau.edu/equity-and-access. The
EAO is located in Old Main on the first floor.
TITLE IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,
as amended, protects individuals from discrimination based on sex in any
educational program or activity operated by recipients of federal financial
assistance. In accordance with Title IX, Northern Arizona University prohibits
discrimination based on sex or gender in all its programs or activities. Sex
discrimination includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship
violence, and stalking. NAU does not discriminate on the
basis of sex in the education programs or activities that it operates,
including in admission and employment. NAU is committed to providing an
environment free from discrimination based on sex or gender and provides a number of supportive measures that assist students,
faculty and staff employees, and covered guests.
One may direct inquiries concerning the
application of Title IX to either or both the university Title IX Coordinator
or the U.S. Department of Education, Assistant Secretary, Office of Civil
Rights. You may contact NAU's Title IX
Coordinator at titleix@nau.edu or by phone at 928-523-5434. In furtherance
of its Title IX obligations, NAU promptly will investigate or equitably
resolve all reports of sex/gender-based discrimination, harassment, or
sexual misconduct and will eliminate any hostile environment as defined by
law. To submit a report, please use the File a Report Form. The
Office for the Resolution of Sexual Misconduct (ORSM): Title IX Institutional Compliance, Prevention
& Response addresses matters that fall under the university's Sexual Misconduct Policy. ORSM
also facilitates reasonable modifications for pregnant or parenting
individuals. Additional important
information and related resources, including how to request help or
confidential support following conduct covered by the Sexual Misconduct Policy,
is available on the ORSM web site, and you also may contact the office at titleix@nau.edu. The ORSM is located in
Gammage on the third floor.
ACCESSIBILITY
Professional disability specialists are
available at Disability Resources to facilitate a range of academic support
services and accommodations for students with disabilities. If you have a
documented disability, you can request assistance by contacting Disability
Resources at 928-523-8773 (voice), 928-523-8747 (fax), or dr@nau.edu (e-mail). Once eligibility has been
determined, students register with Disability Resources every semester to
activate their approved accommodations. Although a student may request an accommodation at any time, it is best to initiate the
application process at least four weeks before a student wishes to receive an accommodation. Students may begin the accommodation
process by submitting a self-identification form online or by contacting Disability
Resources. The Director of Disability Resources, Jamie Axelrod, serves as NAU’s
Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator and Section 504 Compliance Officer.
He can be reached at jamie.axelrod@nau.edu
RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT
OF RESEARCH
Students who engage in research at NAU must
receive appropriate Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. This
instruction is designed to help ensure proper awareness and application of
well-established professional norms and ethical principles related to the
performance of all scientific research activities. For more information and
details, students are encouraged to navigate to
the complete policy on Responsible Conduct of Research Training.
MISCONDUCT IN
RESEARCH
As noted, NAU expects every student to firmly
adhere to a strong code of academic integrity in all their scholarly pursuits.
This includes avoiding fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism when
conducting research or reporting research results. Engaging in research
misconduct may result in serious disciplinary consequences. Students must also
report any suspected or actual instances of research misconduct of which they
become aware. Allegations of research misconduct should be reported to your
instructor or the University’s Research Integrity Officer, Scott Pryor, who can
be reached at scott.pryor@nau.edu or 928-523-5927. Students are encouraged to view the complete policy on
Misconduct in Research.
SENSITIVE COURSE
MATERIALS
University education aims to expand student
understanding and awareness. Thus, it necessarily involves engagement with a
wide range of information, ideas, and creative representations. In their
college studies, students can expect to encounter and to critically appraise
materials that may differ from and perhaps challenge familiar understandings,
ideas, and beliefs. Students are encouraged to discuss these matters with
faculty.
Last revised August 14, 2025