Primary Source Analysis: 1. Consider the following primary source: Excerpt from Emperor Wuzong, Edict on the Suppression of Buddhism: The Edict of the Eighth Month (845 CE) Note: be sure to read the longer selection http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/ps/cup/emperor_wuzong_suppress_buddhism.p df 2. Read the primary source closely and carefully, with an eye for any kind of evidence or clues that could be used to illuminate or understand some feature or other of the text’s historical context. It may be helpful to review the guidelines for reading primary sources in the “How to read in this course” section of the syllabus above. 3. Write a short essay (700-1,000 words) which analyzes what the document teaches us about 9th century China. 4. This is an exercise in the close reading of a primary source. As such, this is not a research paper – you should not pursue any outside research or consult outside secondary sources in order to complete the assignment. Though you should feel free to read the short introductory section to the primary source that offers helpful historical context, you should make no reference to this material or to any outside information concerning historical context. Instead, you should write your document analysis as if your primary source was the only evidence you had concerning the historical period you are describing. Think of yourself as an archeologist, and your primary source as the only evidence you have dug up concerning a past civilization. 5. You should pitch your essay for a reader who is not already familiar with your document – you will therefore have to present the source to your reader. 6. This is an exercise in historical analysis, rather than desсrіption. Your essay should not simply summarize what is in the primary source; it should explain the document’s significance, the ways in which it contributes to our broader understanding of the time and place in which it was produced. 7. Your essay should seek to convince your reader of the validity of your argument. To this end, it will be necessary to justify each point of your argument by presenting relevant textual evidence from the document. 8. To help everyone embrace healthy citation habits, make sure you to provide full footnotes and bibliography
