This week I read a textbook chapter about the Qing dynasty. The most interesting thing to me was how nuanced these kinds of situations are. While the Manchu takeover was horrific, as shown in the primary source, the textbook also says that the Qing dynasty was a period of economic success and social stability. There are tons of factors that go into every aspect of society and they don’t cancel each other out. There can be both horrible violence along with a great economy. What defines history is not the lack of good or bad. It’s whether there’s more good or bad.
I also read a primary source of Wang Xiuchu’s account of the massacre of Yangzhou. The most interesting thing is the contrast with the source of Wen Tianxiang’s account. While they both deal with a lot of violence and death around them, they come from different eras, come from different social standings, and are stuck in different situations. Wang Xiuchu feels more “in the moment” because he was stuck in the middle of a massacre while Wen Tianxiang was escaping from the enemy. They both reflect the danger of deadliness of their times, but in different ways.
I also worked more on my show and tell project. I’m going to do a gallery of paintings from the Ming and Qing dynasty.
I’ll continue to work on my project next week.
