Special Instructions for This Week: We are having a guest lecture by Professor Yunxin Li concerning the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty. While you should still read the other primary sources assigned for this week (“Han Economy and History Writing”), I’d like you to particularly focus on Ban Gu’s “Two Capitals Rhapsody,” as Professor Li will discuss it with you. The Rhapsody is a challenging text. It contains the names of many Han-era figures, plus specific places, and technical terms. I told Professor Li that this class is capable of handling it, so this is an opportunity for you to showcase your many analytical, critical thinking, and creative skills!
Answer one of the following questions in two paragraphs and then comment on one of your classmates’ posts in 2–3 sentences.
- In the eyes of the author, how was the Eastern Han different from the Western Han? How do the location and construction of the capital reflect a dynasty’s qualities?
- When and how is astrology invoked in the text? What other kinds of authority are invoked?
- Ban Gu (Ban Mengjian) is considered the greatest historian of the Eastern Han; Sima Qian is considered the greatest historian of the Western Han. Sima wrote the first “dynastic history”; Ban wrote the second. How does Ban Gu’s writing differ in content and style from Sima Qian’s?
- How does Wang Mang appear in your primary source readings for Monday? How does he appear in Ban Gu’s Rhapsody?
- Consider the “Debate on Salt and Iron” alongside Ban Gu’s Rhapsody. What moment in the history of the Han Dynasty does the “debate” capture and how is it reflected in Ban Gu’s Rhapsody?
