Course Syllabus

Course Information:

Course Description:

The phrase "Silk Road," a term coined in the late 19th century, describes a number of different routes by which merchants conveyed silk and other valuable commodities from the East to the West during the period from roughly 100 B.C.E. to 1350 C.E. In this class, we are going to study the Silk Road itself, many of the cultures that lived along the silk road, and especially moments of interaction (commercial, political, cultural, etc.) between the cultures. We will read many different types of texts and consider multiple types of evidence, but focus chiefly on primary data that invokes cross-cultural contact (i.e. diplomats, merchants, and other travelers). We will combine primary and secondary material, and discuss how to use all the different types of data and analysis available to scholars. The chief goal is to learn about the Silk Road. The secondary goal is to learn how to learn about the Silk Road. Assignments and readings are designed with both goals in mind.

Required Texts:

Please purchase the following texts from the St. Olaf Bookstore

  • J. Bentley, Old World Encounters
  • S. Whitfield, Life along the Silk Road
  • E. Latham (trans), The Travels of Marco Polo
  • C. Dawson, Mission to Asia
  • S. Lee, The Travels of Ibn Battuta: in the Near East, Asia and Africa, 1325-1354
  • Course Packet of materials - Available by the second week of classes.

There may also be numerous other readings either posted online or given out in class. You are required to bring all readings due on any given day to class to aid in discussion. For online materials, this means you must print them out.

Course Requirements and Assignments:

  • Reading Journal - 10%
    • You will need to keep a reading journal on the primary documents. For each day that primary documents are assigned for you to read at home, you need to write a one page paper discussing the principle text (I will tell you which text when there is any doubt). We will talk about how to write a good reading journal entry in class.
      • Consider the following types of issues. What can we learn from the documents? What should we ask about them in class? What problems do they present?
      • EACH ENTRY MUST BE TYPED AND DOUBLE SPACED.
      • There are 11 Reading Journals. I will grade (A-F) them all and take the top 8 scores to determine your grade in this category.
      • Because Reading Journals are used as the basis for discussion in a given class, late journals WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
  • Video Writeups - 5%
    • The pedagogical purpose of these writeups is chiefly that you prove to me you watched it (as you will watch all but one of them out of class). Second, demonstrate that you have thought about what the content of the video teaches us about the themes of the course.
      • These should be substantially less work than the reading journals, but should still be dealt with as formal writing. Grammar, style, etc. always count!
      • No Video Writeups will be accepted late.
      • There are six writeups. They will be graded on an S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory) scale. The best five will count for your grade, each worth 1%
  • Exam #1 - 10%
    • Tuesday, September 20. On Marco Polo.
    • You will be asked to write a single essay on a question handed out in class.
  • Exam #2 - 20%
    • Tuesday, November 22. Cumulative.
    • You will get a study guide for this exam.
  • Paper #1 - 15%
    • 3-4 page paper on Faxian and/or Xuanzang. More details to be handed out in class when the due date is closer
  • Paper #2 - 25%
    • 5-6 page paper on either of the Franciscan Missionaries or Ibn Battuta. Due 12:00 Tuesday, December 20th. More information to come.
  • Participation and attendance - 15%
    • Participation is more than just showing up, but it starts with just showing up. You cannot participate if you are not here. I will take attendance every day. Unexcused absences will weigh heavily against your participation grade.
      • Excused absences - severe illness with doctor's note, death in the family, acts of God, or legitimate St. Olaf activities (i.e. the choir tour in the first week of class) will obviously not incur any direct penalty. However, if you aren't here, you cannot participate, so you will need to work hard to make up for any classes missed legitimately. You are responsible for catching up on material missed by consulting both me and your peers.
    • But participation is about more than just showing up. It's about doing the reading, being prepared to talk about it, volunteering your input, being involved in your group work, preparing for the debates and other discussions, and generally being an asset to the class as a whole. We will have a variety of ways in which you can participate, but none matter more than being an active member in our small-group and full-class discussions.
    • Your participation is a large percent of your grade. You will need to earn it. Take initiative. Do not expect to speak only when directly called upon and ace this section of the class.
    • Finally, being late consistently may be counted as being absent. It will certainly lower your participation grade.

Course Policies

  1. Follow the St. Olaf Code of Student Conduct. If you are unsure about whether something is plagiarism or cheating, ask first.
  2. No assignment, under any circumstances, will be accepted by fax or email.
  3. Students must bring readings to class on the day they are assigned. Print out online materials.
  4. Informal writing assignments will not be accepted late as they exist to stimulate your pre-class thought and to aid in discussion.
  5. Formal writing assignments and examinations are due at the beginning of class. DO NOT EVER SKIP CLASS TO TRY AND FINISH YOUR PAPER. Printing errors and lost data are a fact of the computer age. If you wait until the last minute and encounter technical difficulties, your paper may still be counted as late.
  6. For every day a paper or project is late, you lose one full grade per day (A to B, B to C, etc.). Do not test this system. Turn your work in on time. Stapled. With your name on every page. Typed. Double-spaced. In a reasonable font.

The Grade:

Calendar of readings and assignments:

We will begin this class by reading an enjoyable, if problematic, primary source -- The Travels of Marco Polo. We will use Polo often confused depiction to introduce ourselves to the world of the Silk Road, even though his voyages took place in the latter stages of the period. We will then step back to the beginnings of the Silk Road, and look at the the East Asian origins of sericulture, the early trading routes, the spread of religions along the road, and attempt to gain a broad overview of our subject - over 5000 miles and 1500 years! In the final stage of the course, we will focus on other travelers' accounts, including Franciscian emissaries from Rome to the Mongols, the great Muslim traveller Ibn Battuta, and imagined voyages and descriptions by medieval Latin writers.

  • R-# means that a reading journal is due on that day.
  • Video Writeup means that a 1 page video analysis is due on that day.
  • This is a new course, and the readings and subjects for the latter half have intentionally been left vague. They will be corrected on the website once I have a better sense of our pace and understanding.

Introduction

  • Thursday, September 8 - Introduction

Marco Polo

  • Tuesday, September 13 - Prologue and The Middle East
    • Reading: Marco Polo, "Prologue" and "The Middle East," 33-73
    • Due: Map Quiz: You will be given a blank map in class with locations referred to in Polo's prologue, and you will need to identify them. Use the internet to begin building your knowledge of our region.
    • Due: R-1
  • Thursday, September 15 - In China
    • Reading: Marco Polo, "The Road to Cathay" and "Kubilai Khan," 74-162
    • Due: R-2
  • Tuesday, September 20 - In S.E. Asia
    • Reading: Marco Polo, "From China to India," and "India" 241-294.
    • Due: R-3
    • In-class: Exam #1 - On Marco Polo (a single in-class essay)

Back to the Beginning

  • Thursday, September 22 - Video 1:1 The Glories of Ancient Chang'an
    • In Class: In small groups, work on an outline of a critique and analysis of the video.
    • Over the weekend, watch Video Program 1:2 A Thousand Kilometers beyond the Yellow River (it is on reserve. I recommend arranging small groups to watch it together). Write up a one-page analysis of this video independently. More information on this assignment will be given in class.
    • Prepare for next week's reading!
  • Tuesday, September 27 - What is the Silk Road?
  • Thursday, September 29 - Han China
    • Reading: Han Narrative Histories (in course packet. Focus on pages 30-49.)
    • Due: R-4
    • Over the weekend, watch Video 1:3 The Art Gallery in the Desert.
  • Tuesday, October 4 - Overview of the spread of religion
    • Reading: Bentley, Chapter 3 (67-110)
    • Due: Video Writeup B - on 1:3

Buddhism

  • Thursday, October 6 - Lecture: Buddhism and the Silk Road
    • Reading: S. Teiser, "Spirits of Chinese Religion" (course packet)
    • Due: R-5
    • Over the weekend, watch Video 1:6 (note skip!) "Across the Taklamakan Desert"
  • Tuesday, October 11 - Travelers
    • Reading: T. Sen, "In Search of Longevity and Good Karma: Chinese Diplomatic Missions to Middle India in the Seventh Century" (course packet), "The Journey of Faxian to India," and Xuanzang: "Record of the Western Regions" (course packet)
    • Paper handout
    • Due: Video Writeup C - 1:6
  • Thursday, October 13 - Guest Lecture (TBA).
    • Reading: TBA
    • Over the weekend, watch Video 2:1 Khotan --Oasis of Silk and Jade

Tuesday, October 18 - Fall Break

The Western End of the Silk Road

Life Along the Silk Road - We will read S. Whitfield's book, several chapters at a time, and discuss them in class. You will be assigned a particular chapter to focus on and lead the discussion in small groups for each day, but are required to read all assigned texts.

  • Thursday, October 27 - Merchant, Soldier, Horseman, Princess
    • Reading: Whitfield, 27-112
    • Over the weekend, watch Video 1:4
  • Tuesday, November 1 - Courtesean, Nun, Widow, Official
    • Reading: Whitfield, 138-205
    • Due: Video Writeup D - on 1:4

Changes to the World Order

Tuesday, November 22 - Exam #2 in class.

Late Travelers on the Silk Road

  • Tuesday, November 29 - Ibn Battuta
    • Reading TBA
    • Due: R-10
  • Thursday, December 1 - Ibn Battuta
    • Reading TBA
  • Tuesday, December 6 - Francican Missions
    • Reading TBA
    • Due: R-11
  • Thursday, December 8 - Franciscan Missions
    • Reading TBA
  • Tuesday, December 13 - Imagined Journeys
    • Reading TBA

Final Paper on either of the Franciscan missionaries or Ibn Battuta will be due 12:00 Tuesday, December 20

 


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This site last updated: 8/26/05
Comments to: David Perry
Homepage URL: http://www.stolaf.edu/courses/2005sem1/History/194
© 2005 by David Perry and St. Olaf College. All rights reserved.