Minneapolis is one of the premier places in North America to study Ming history. Not only are two active Ming historians on the faculty but many other scholars inside and outside the Department also participate in the Ming history community. Ann Waltner has held a classical Chinese reading group at her house for over a decade and throws lots of good parties. The University's library collection is especially strong in Ming materials and can provide essential resources for a dissertation. The Chinese historians are well connected in China, Taiwan, and Japan and can provide necessary introductions.
Asian history is a dynamic and diverse field.
South Asian Subaltern Studies has made a substantial impact on history as a field in general. While historians of China continue to produce concrete studies of local societies, scholars are also writing narratives that synthesize these discrete works. As with other fields of history, cultural studies, gender studies, and legal studies are changing the ways we look at state and society. The study of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Chinese history is particularly exciting, as old paradigms begin to break down. Our program speaks to many of these interests.