Korean History

Choose a topic for your research paper. Part A: Political History 04/05: The Late Koryô: Mongol Overlords and Domestic Reformers NHK: 155-162 Reader: Robinson, “Koryŏ in the Great Yuan Ulus,” 98-129. Lee, Peter “Relations with the Mongols” and “Late Koryô Reforms,” 200-212. Discussion: How would you characterize Koryŏ’s position vis-a-vis the Yuan empire? Was it an independent kingdom, a colony, or a dependency? Do you see any similarities between Mongol imperialism in the 13th and 14th centuries and modern imperialism of the 19th and 20th centuries? 04/10: The Koryô-Chosôn Change of Dynasties NHK: 162-165 Reader: Yi, “Social Changes in Late Koryô to Early Chosôn Period,” 32-44 Duncan, The Origins of the Chosŏn Dynasty, 99-120 04/12: Political Consolidation in the Early Chosôn NHK: 172-182 Reader: Wagner, The Literati Purges, 5-22 Lee, Peter, “Founding the Chosŏn Dynasty,” 271-278 Discussion: What were the factors behind the change of dynasties at the end of the 14th century? Was the change of dynasties a revolution, a palace coup, or something else? 04/17: Political Instability and the Rise of Factional Politics NHK: 201-209 Reader: Lee, Peter, “Politics,” 14-25 Lee, Sông-mu, “On the Causes of Factional Strife,” 3-27 04/19: Late Chosôn Politics: Impartiality and In-law Government NHK: 221-223, 247-249, 261-262 Reader: Haboush, “Yôngjo’s Court,” 117-136 Palais, Politics and Policy, 23-42 Discussion: Do you think factional politics was a debilitating factor for the dynasty? In what ways did Yŏngjo try to overcome factionalism? Did he succeed? If so, did that pave the way for the rise of in-law government? 04/24: Early Chosôn Foreign Relations NHK: 189-192 Reader: Clark, “The Ming Connection,” 77-89 Robinson, “From Raiders to Traders,” 94-115 04/26: Mid-Chosôn Invasions and Late Chosôn Foreign Relations NHK: 209-217, 262-266 Reader: Swope, “Beyond Turtleboats:” 177-206 Larson, “The Barbarian Challenge,” 35-42 Discussion: Why was Chosŏn so ill-prepared to handle the Japanese and Manchu invasions? How did the invasions change the structure of power in Northeast Asia and how did Chosŏn deal with those changes? Part B: Society and Economy 05/01: The Structure of Early Chosôn Society NHK: 173-175, 182-188 Reader: Yi, “The Formation and Development,” 89-112 Peterson, “Slaves and Owners; or Servants and Masters?,” 31-41 05/03: “Foreigners” in Koryô and Chosôn Society Reader: Yun, “Mongols and Western Asians in the Late Koryô Ruling Stratum,” 51-69 Duncan, “Hyanghwain,” 99-113 Discussion: How would you characterize early Chosŏn society? Was it an aristocratic order, a meritocracy, or something else? What does the presence of Mongols, Han Chinese, Central Asians and Hyanghwain imply for the modern notion of Korean ethnic purity? 05/08: Socio-economic Change in the Late Chosôn NHK: 224-232 Reader: Ko, “Development of Commerce and Commercial Policy…,” 202-226 Lewis, “Introduction” and Oh, “Silver Trade” 1-7, 87-109 05/10: The Lives of the Elites Reader: Lee, “The Sônbi Spirit,” 12-17 *Kawashima, “A Yangban Organization,” 3-35 Discussion: What is the significance of the growth of a commercial economy in the late Chosŏn? Does it mean that Chosŏn was developing along the same path as England? Do you think that commercial development undermined the Yangban-centered social order?