Korean History

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, “Koryo in the Great Yuan Ulus,” 98-129.
Lee, Peter “Relations with the Mongols” and “Late Koryô Reforms,” 200-212.

Discussion: How would you characterize Koryo’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 Choson 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 Choson 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 Yongjo 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 Choson 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 Choson 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 Choson 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 Choson? Does it mean that Choson was developing along the same path as England? Do you think that commercial development undermined the Yangban-centered social order?