Prof. Dr. Max Oidtmann

Professor of Chinese and Central Asian History

• Ph.D. 2014 Harvard University, History and East Asian Languages
• M.A. 2007 Harvard University, Regional Studies East Asia
• B.A. 2001 Carleton College

I am a historian of China during the "late imperial period" (roughly 1400 through the early 20th century). I am interested in how China-based states such as the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) interacted with neighboring states and societies, as well as how they governed their own diverse populations. Simultaneously, I am curious about how non-Chinese subjects of the Ming and Qing states made sense of their inclusion within these great empires and how their culture and social structures changed over time.

In more concrete terms, I have been studying 1) the relationship between Tibetan Buddhist elites and the Qing government and 2) the local religious and legal cultures of Tibetans, Mongols, Muslims, and Chinese who lived in the borderlands between the Tibetan plateau and the north China plains (areas now referred to as Gansu and Qinghai provinces).

At LMU I teach a broad range of courses on the history of China and Central Asia from late imperial times to the present. I offer lectures on the "Politics and Society of Late Imperial China" and seminars on diverse topics such as comparative studies of Xinjiang and Uzbekistan, the PRC and the Soviet Union, Tibetan history, Islam in China, Chinese legal and administrative history, Ming and Qing vernacular literature, and the religious and minority affairs policies of the Chinese Communist Party. I train students at the BA, MA, and PhD levels to read primary sources in Chinese, Manchu, and Tibetan, as well as employ the methodological tools of historians.

For prospective PhD candidates: I am willing to mentor students working on topics related to the cultural, social, legal, economic, environmental, and/or religious history of China and Central Asia from the 1400s to the present. I review applications for admission into the PhD program on a twice-yearly basis, October 1 (for candidates who wish to begin in the next summer semester) and March 1 (for candidates who wish to begin in the next winter semester). Applicants can expect a response within two weeks from the application deadlines.

Prospective candidates should submit the following materials to sekretariat@ostasien.fak12.uni-muenchen.de. Cover letter, research proposal with bibliography, and CV. Applicants should also be prepared to submit confidential letters of recommendation if requested. All candidates must clearly demonstrate that they have received adequate training to successfully research and write a dissertation in the discipline of history using primary sources. Limited funding is available for exceptional applicants.