HIST 347: China and the Early Modern World Order, 1500-1700 (HC): Background Information

                                                                        One of the paintings from Portraits of Twelve Beauties

                                                               Commissioned by Prince Yong, 1709-23 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The following sources provide overviews of ideas, people, and events in Chinese and world history.  They are a quick way to find out the basic facts and current points of debate.
When using an article in an encyclopedia or handbook, always check the bibliography for further reading at the end of the article. It will provide a selective list of the books, articles, and, frequently, Web resources considered to be the most up-to-date and reliable.

Literature reviews are a particularly useful resource when doing research.  They address the issues involved in a particular question and the debates among scholars.  They map out the intellectual terrain succinctly and give you the major landmarks in terms of key authors and significant titles for greater understanding.