This course covers the late Qing dynasty (1839-1911) and Republican China (1911-49). It explores China's semi-colonization under Western and Japanese aggressions; reforms, rebellions, revolutions, frequent regime shifts, and political disintegration; the construction of new political theories and cultures; the rise of a Shanghai-centred urban popular culture; and evolving gender relations. Within these themes, an important subject is the role of Chinese people of different socio-economic classes, ethnicities, genders, and locales in creating the new nation.