Skip to main content
Unit outline_

HSTY2606: China's Last Dynasty: The Great Qing

Semester 2, 2022 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit studies the Qing Dynasty from its founding in 1644 to the last emperor's abdication in 1912. At its height the Qing was a flourishing empire; its military campaigns created the map of China today; an agricultural revolution saw the population boom and the court drew scholars from around the world. Yet in the nineteenth century foreign gunships and domestic rebellions threw the empire into crisis. An analysis of that crisis is crucial to our understanding of China today.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit History
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
12 Junior credit points of History or 12 Junior credit points of Asian Studies
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
HSTY2006
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator David Brophy, david.brophy@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Source analysis
Analysis of a set of assigned sources.
5% Multiple weeks 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Participation Participation
Preparation for and participation in tutorial discussions.
15% Ongoing Continuous
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3 LO2
Skills-based evaluation Take-home exam
Written response(s) to prescribed questions.
30% Please select a valid week from the list below 1000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO3
Assignment Essay proposal
Craft an essay proposal in response to one of the assigned questions.
5% Week 07
Due date: 18 Sep 2022 at 23:59
500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO3 LO4
Assignment Research essay
Research essay
45% Week 12
Due date: 30 Oct 2022 at 23:59
2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Assessment summary

  • Participation: Preparation for and participation in tutorial discussions.
  • Source analysis: Analysis of a set of assigned sources
  • Essay proposal: Craft an essay proposal in response to one of the assigned questions.
  • Research essay: Write a 2500 word essay presenting original research in primary sources and engagement with secondary scholarship.
  • Take-home exam: Written response(s) to prescribed questions.

Successful completion of all assessment tasks is required to pass this unit of study. Please refer to the Canvas site for detailed information.

Assessment criteria

Result name Mark range Description
High distinction 85-100 Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard,as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction 75-84 Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, asdefined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit 65-74 Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, asdefined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass 50-64 Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard,as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail 0-49 When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard
Absent fail 0-49 When you haven’t completed all assessment tasks or met the attendance requirements.

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 • Introduction to the unit • The geography of imperial China Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 02 • Population growth • The rural economy Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 03 • Gentry and local elites • Bureaucrats and the emperor Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 04 • The decline and fall of the Ming • The rise of the Manchus Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 05 • Continuity and change in Qing rule • The Qing as a Eurasian empire Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 06 • Religion and heterodoxy • The place of women in Qing society Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 07 • Science and the environment • The literati and reform Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 08 • Encounters with the foreign • Changing European views of China Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 09 • Opium and the Treaty System • Treaty port society Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 10 • The Taiping Rebellion • The Tongzhi restoration Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 11 • Missionaries and the civilizing mission • The economics of imperialism Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 12 • Reform vs. revolution • The New Policies Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  
Week 13 • The End of the Qing • Conclusion Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)  

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Communicate arguments and ideas in a clear and effective way, both in writing and through oral/visual presentation
  • LO2. Identify, summarise, and analyse the information and perspectives provided by historical sources
  • LO3. Critically engage and respond to a body of existing historical scholarship
  • LO4. Demonstrate an ability to identify and select relevant and intellectually sound resources for historical research
  • LO5. Be able to acquire and evaluate new knowledge through independent research on a prescribed essay topic

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

First time this unit has been offered with Sydney Curriculum operating.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.