PART 1.
1.Who were the Manchus? Describe the rise of Manchus prior to 1644 and assess the importance of that pre-conquest history for their subsequent rule of China. Focus on the political system they adopted, major political leaders and their allies.
2.Describe the origins and history of the Taiping Rebellion, and assess its importance in the history of the late Qing.
PART 2.
1.Describe the Qing economic policies and practices in the eighteenth century. What accounted for their success? What changed after 1800 to cause the economy to go into decline?
2.Describe the history and structure of the opium trade (i.e., why the trade developed, where the opium came from, who traded it, etc.) and analyze the role played by opium in the events leading up to the Opium War.
3.Compare the late Qing reform after 1900 and the development and activities of the revolutionary movement. What were their similarities and differences? To what degree did each of these contribute to the 1911 Revolution?