English Lessons (Paperback)

James L. Hevia

ISBN 10: 0822331888 / ISBN 13: 9780822331889

Published by Duke University Press, North Carolina, 2003

About this Item

Paperback. Inserting China into the history of nineteenth-century colonialism, English Lessons explores the ways that Euro-American imperial powers humiliated the Qing monarchy and disciplined the Qing polity in the wake of multi-power invasions of China in 1860 and 1900. Focusing on the processes by which Great Britain enacted a pedagogical project that was itself a form of colonization, James L. Hevia demonstrates how British actors instructed the Manchu-Chinese elite on "proper" behaviour in a world dominated by multiple imperial powers. Their aim was to "bring China low" and make it a willing participant in British strategic goals in Asia. These lessons not only transformed the Qing dynasty, but ultimately contributed to its destruction. Hevia analyzes British Foreign Office documents, diplomatic memoirs, auction house and museum records, nineteenth-century scholarly analyses of Chinese history and culture, campaign records, and photographs.He shows how Britain refigured its imperial project in China as a cultural endeavor by analyzing the circulation of military loot in Europe, the creation of an art history of "things Chinese," the construction of a field of knowledge about China, and the Great Game rivalry between Britain, Russia, and Qing empire in Central Asia.Each of these elements not only influenced the colonial project, but also had a significant impact on creating a national consciousness in China. Inserting China into the history of nineteenth-century colonialism, this title explores the ways that Euro-American imperial powers humiliated the Qing monarchy and disciplined the Qing polity in the wake of multi-power invasions of China in 1860 and 1900. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780822331889

Bibliographic Details

• Title: English Lessons (Paperback)
• Publisher: Duke University Press, North Carolina
• Publication Date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0822331888
• ISBN 13: 9780822331889
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Inserting China into the history of nineteenth-century colonialism, English Lessons explores the ways that Euroamerican imperial powers humiliated the Qing monarchy and disciplined the Qing polity in the wake of multipower invasions of China in 1860 and 1900. Focusing on the processes by which Great Britain enacted a pedagogical project that was itself a form of colonization, James L. Hevia demonstrates how British actors instructed the Manchu-Chinese elite on “proper” behavior in a world dominated by multiple imperial powers. Their aim was to “bring China low” and make it a willing participant in British strategic goals in Asia. These lessons not only transformed the Qing dynasty but ultimately contributed to its destruction.

Hevia analyzes British Foreign Office documents, diplomatic memoirs, auction house and museum records, nineteenth-century scholarly analyses of Chinese history and culture, campaign records, and photographs. He shows how Britain refigured its imperial project in
China as a cultural endeavor through examinations of the circulation of military loot in Europe, the creation of an art history of “things Chinese,” the construction of a field of knowledge about China, and the Great Game rivalry between Britain, Russia, and the Qing empire in Central Asia. In so doing, he illuminates the impact of these elements on the colonial project and the creation of a national consciousness in China.

About the Author

James L. Hevia is Chair of the Curriculum in International and Area Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. His book Cherishing Men from Afar: Qing Guest Ritual and the Macartney Embassy of 1793 (published by Duke University Press) won the Joseph Levenson Prize from the Association for Asian Studies.