Page 97 - HKSYU Prospectus 2023-24

History

above areas.

HIST 220 The Modern World
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course outlines the major changes in Europe and the western world that came to
dominate and largely shaped the modern world from global processes of the period 1500 to
1900. Particular discussion is placed on the key European powers such as Portugal, Spain,
France, Prussia, Austria, Russia, and Great Britain. This course further examines the varied
regional responses in the non-western world to the development of European expansion and
dominance. The overall objective is to provide students with historical insights to assess the
making of the modern world, particularly in forming political, economic, military, and other world
systems.

HIST 230 Study of Chinese Historical Sources and Materials
1 Term; 3 Credits
This course is divided into two parts: “Introduction” and “Monograph”. The “Introduction”
section describes: 1) the nature and classification of traditional historical materials, and 2) the
overview of the main historical materials newly discovered since the twentieth century. The
“Monograph” section details: 1) The content gain and loss and spread of traditional historical
materials from the pre-Qin period to the Qing Dynasty. 2) The discovery process of four types
of new historical materials, including “Oracle Bone”, “Qin and Han Bamboo Strips”, “The
Testament of Dunhuang” and “The Archives of Ming and Qing Dynasties in the Imperial
Palace”, and their value. It also introduces the main research results of the academic
community in the above areas.

HIST 250 History of the British Empire
1 Term; 3 Credits
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the British Empire reached its zenith as it became the
dominant global power. Its population was over 458 million in 1938 (20% of the world
population). The British Empire became a world power because of its colonies all over the
world. This course is an introductory course on the history of the British Empire from its origins
to 1997, with a particular emphasis on the British raj experience in India, the most important
colony of the Empire in the19th and 20th centuries, and aims at enabling the students to
evaluate the concept of “Empire” and “imperialism” in the context of the global perspective. The
content of this course is mainly divided into three parts: The first part explains the development
of the British Empire with reference to the colonization of Australia, the Indian Subcontinent,
the Malay Peninsula and Africa; the second part discusses life within the Empire, including
economic relations and political life within the Empire, the new groups arising from the
population flow within the Empire, the city and art of the empire, and British culture and thought;
the third part discusses the legacy of the British Empire in the post-colonial world order.

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