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History

Scottish Windows, Eastern Skies: The Scots and Asia, 1750 -1950

Course Times & Enrolment

This course is currently unavailable.

Course Summary

Scots played a significant role in the development of modern China, India and Japan as well as other parts of Asia. Using original documents and including a visit to the National Museum of Scotland, this course will consider why Scots went east and how they responded to and interpreted very different societies. The course will examine the response of host communities, assessing reactions to western concepts of identity and society, tracing the development of Asian communities in Scotland.

Please note, this course may include a field trip (a visit to the National Museum of Scotland).

Course Details

Content of Course

1. Introduction – the Scots in Asia.

2. India to the mutiny/rebellion.

3. India mutiny/rebellion to 1947.

4. China trade, missionaries and tea.

5. China administration, education and Hong Kong.

6. Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.

7. Soldiers and Travellers.

8. Reaction of host communities. Expatriate Life in Asia.

9. Asians in Scotland.

10. Final Discussion

Teaching method(s)

The course will be organised on a lecture / tutorial basis with students encouraged to interact and give their views. It is proposed to make a class visit to the Museum of Scotland.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

  • Describe the factors which drove Scottish engagement with Asia between 1750 and 1950;

  • Understand the impact Scottish derived ideas and thinking had on the development of institutions in the region and the influence of individual Scots in key areas including commerce, education, politics, religion and social responsibility;

  • Explain the response of host communities to foreign intervention and assess the effect this had on evolving Asian communities in Scotland.

Sources

Core Readings

Essential:

  • Bose, S. 2004. Modern South Asia; History. Culture. Political Economy. London: Routledge.

  • Dillon, M. 2010. China; A Modern History. London: Tauris.

  • Devine, T. M. 2011. To the ends of the Earth; Scotland’s Global Diaspora. London,: Allan Lane.

  • James, L. 1997. Raj; the making and unmaking of British India. London:Abacus.

  • McKay, A. 1993. Scottish Samurai; Thomas Blake Glover, 1838-1911, Edinburgh: Canongate.

Recommended:

  • Bickers, R. 2011).The Scramble for China. London: Allen Lane.

  • Bishop, I.B.,1899).The Yangtze Valley and Beyond, London: John Murray. (Any edition or Ebook.)

  • LePichon, A. 2006. China Trade and Empire. Oxford, OUP.

  • Visram, R..2002. Asians in Britain; 400 years of History. London: Pluto.

  • Yee, C. 2003. The Silent Traveller in Edinburgh. EUP: Edinburgh. (Reprint of the 1948 John Murray edition).

Web Sources

Students will be referred to appropriate web resources throughout the course.

Class Handouts

There will normally be a handout each contact session –usually original source material related to a course topic.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.