INQ-270 | War & Peace in Asia-Global

Full Title: War and Peace in Premodern East Asia (China, Japan, and Korea): 600-1600

Topic Description:

How did war and peace interact in history? How did people try to avoid war and sustain peace? This course is designed to examine three major stages of violent interactions among East Asian countries, first around the seventh century, second around the thirteenth, and third around the fifteenth century. Despite relatively long periods of peaceful interactions, wars played important roles in the formation and reconfiguration of the East Asian world order throughout history. This course will examine the historical and political background of three crucial stages with focus on four historical figures, namely Emperor Yangdi of Sui Dynasty China, Genghis Khan of the Mongol Empire, Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan, and Admiral Yi Sunsin of Choson Korea, as well as their respective impact on the political and cultural spheres during the most turbulent eras in premodern East Asia. (

Counts as Global? Yes

Topic Approved: November 2012