HIST 2349 — Age of the Samurai: Medieval and Early Modern Japan
4 semester hoursUndergraduateLectureNUpath DDNUpath SI
Introduces the history and culture of medieval and early modern Japan─the age of samurai rule. Covers the emergence of a social caste system; practices and culture of warfare; political and economic trends; and intellectual, religious, and cultural developments. Situates Japan’s medieval and early modern periods in their broader East Asian and global contexts to explore whether Japan was a coherent social and political unit in the premodern age. Includes concepts such as premodern nationalism, state centralization, and premodern diplomacy in a multipolar world. Examines how the medieval and early modern eras have been represented in contemporary culture.