There is crime and there is, supposedly, punishment. Behind law and order, or disorder, there were tears, blood, emotions, stories and history. The history of crime and punishment can be as sexy as detective novel and as sad and prefund as Greek tragedy. This course provides an introduction to Chinese legal history through an examination of the judicial practice, evolution of codified law and other aspects of legal culture in the late imperial period. The Ming and Qing dynasties' criminal cases, law, and legal procedures are the central topics of the course. We will also explore how Europeans viewed China's criminal justice and how their imperial gaze changed China's history of crime and punishment.
Programme: HIST(HSS)
There is crime and there is, supposedly, punishment. Behind law and order, or disorder, there were tears, blood, emotions, stories and history. The history of crime and punishment can be as sexy as detective novel and as sad and prefund as Greek tragedy. This course provides an introduction to Chinese legal history through an examination of the judicial practice, evolution of codified law and other aspects of legal culture in the late imperial period. The Ming and Qing dynasties' criminal cases, law, and legal procedures are the central topics of the course. We will also explore how Europeans viewed China's criminal justice and how their imperial gaze changed China's history of crime and punishment.