Yushuang Zheng, a PhD student in History will teach this lecture-based course, to be held online via Zoom, and graded as S/U, with Distribution Areas H&S. The course is scheduled from January 6 to January 17, 2025, with sessions running Monday through Thursday, 9:00–10:30 AM.

Today’s world, shaped by vibrant international discourse on platforms like TikTok and transnational material exchanges via e-commerce sites like Shein, mirrors the historical dynamics of global influence and cultural interaction. Contrary to the traditional view that China remained isolated and fell behind the West during the early modern period, this course will explore how deeply integrated China actually was in the global tapestry through a history told by objects. In this course, we will critically examine the extent and nature of China’s engagement with the global community from the 16th to the 19th century. We will explore a series of fascinating questions centered around objects, such as why the Manchu emperor sought assistance from Westerners in China to distribute his open letter, how European tapestries influenced Qing imperial arts, and the impact of genetic diseases in Western silkworms on the Chinese silk trade. Adopting a unique material perspective, our lectures and discussions will focus on specific historical objects—such as tapestries, imperial letters, silkworms, clocks, and silver—and investigate the transnational networks embedded within them. Through critical readings, lively discussions, and final presentations, we will also engage with major historiographical debates on the definitions of “early modernity.”