Stretching from what we now call the Middle East over South Asia to Southeast and East Asia, Asia is as vast as its histories are rich. It is also key to understanding not only the global past but also today’s world.
And there is much to explore: from the first agricultures and the inland trade routes over medieval and early modern empires to modern European and Japanese empire-building, and from independence and decolonisation processes to the Cold War conflicts. And that is without highlighting the connected histories of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, as well as several other oceans and waterways!
Central to the numerous histories of Asia are connectivity, trade, exchanges, expansion, conflict, resilience, and variety, aspects still being reinterpreted by historians and archaeologists.
Join us to learn about and engage with the different histories of the part(s) of Asia that interest you. Our Asian history section offers both short and long courses, online and face-to-face designed to build your understanding and interest.
Founded in 1600, by the 1800s the East India Company had laid the foundations for the transition to British crown rule in India in 1858. Join us to discover key events in the history of the EIC in India – why did ‘John Company’ become so influential and how did Indian Nawabs and Mughal Emperors resist its seemingly ever-expanding powers?
Journey into the heart of China's transformative era, where dynastic intrigue met daily life's rich fabric. Grasp the complexities of power, ethnic interplay, and innovation in an age of change in Late Imperial China.