You could use any combination of these:
1. The film Umrao Jaan from 1981.
2. The articles by Katherine Schofield, nee Butler Brown, that I posted on UBLearns, on Mughal-era courtesans.
3. The novel Umrao Jan Ada, in the Khushwant Singh translation.
4. Kristin, Roger, what would you recommend by way of Chinese materials?
1. The film Umrao Jaan from 1981.
2. The articles by Katherine Schofield, nee Butler Brown, that I posted on UBLearns, on Mughal-era courtesans.
3. The novel Umrao Jan Ada, in the Khushwant Singh translation.
4. Kristin, Roger, what would you recommend by way of Chinese materials?
See my blog post on July 19! The chapter on the life of a courtesan in _The Human Tradition in Modern China_ would be a good place to start. Kong Shangren's play _Peach Blossom Fan_ concerns courtesans and their relationships with literati. It also concerns the fall of the Ming and founding of the Qing and the dilemma faced by scholars about whether to be loyal to the fallen dynasty. Jonathan Spence's most recent book, _Return to Dragon Mountain_ also concerns the Qing conquest and the reaction of literati.
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