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The British Empire in East Asia I
(AY 2025/2026, Semester 1)

Week 1. Introduction

Britain and China: Empires Entwined

Lecture slides: W1. Introduction (for students).pptx

Week 2. Tea and opium: Part I

Reading: Le Fanu, "Green Tea"

Lecture slides: W2. Tea opium.pptx

PDF: Le Fanu. Green Tea.pdf

Week 3. Tea and opium: Part II

Reading: Le Fanu, "Green Tea"

Lecture slides: W3. Tea opium.pptx

Week 4. Producing opium in Bengal: Farmers

Reading: Extracts from Ghosh, Sea of Poppies

Lecture slides: W4. Producing opium in Bengal farmers.pptx

PDF: Ghosh. Sea of Poppies.pdf

Week 5. Shipping opium from Calcutta to Canton: Sailors and overseers

Reading: extracts from Ghosh, Flood of Fire

Lecture slides: 

Week 6. Shipping opium from Calcutta to Canton: Lascars

Reading: extracts from Ghosh, Flood of Fire

Lecture slides: 

Week 7. Trading opium in Canton: The British

Reading: extracts from Ghosh, Flood of Fire

Lecture slides: 

Week 8. Trading opium in Canton: The Parsis

Reading: extracts from Ghosh, Flood of Fire

Lecture slides: 

Week 9. The Opium War: British Indian soldiers

Reading: extracts from Ghosh, Flood of Fire

Lecture slides: 

Week 10. The Opium War: The Manchu government

Reading: extracts from Ghosh, Flood of Fire

Lecture slides: 

Week 11. The Opium War: Hong Kong Island

Reading: extracts from Ghosh, Flood of Fire

Lecture slides: 

Week 12. Opium in the imperial metropolis

Reading: extract from Dickens, The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Reading: Images of opium dens in 19th-century London

Lecture slides:

PDF: Dickens. Mystery of Edwin Drood.pdf

Images: Luke Fildes, “In the Court”.jpg

Gustave Doré, “Opium Smoking – the Lascar’s Room in ‘Edwin Drood’”.jpg

Week 13. Research skills workshop

Lecture slides: 

Week 14. Conclusion

Lecture slides: 

Week 15. Essay due

Assignment instructions: Assignment instructions.pdf

Recommended reading list: Graduation Project recommended reading list.pdf

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