Mark C. Elliott

Mark Elliott has been at Harvard since 2003, having earned his B.A. and M.A. at Yale and his Ph.D. at University of California at Berkeley. His first book, The Manchu Way: The Eight Banners and Ethnic Identity in Late Imperial China, based primarily on Manchu-language sources, is an influential study in the "New Qing History" 新清史 , a paradigm-shifting approach that emphasizes the importance of Manchu political and military institutions in shaping the last empire. His other books include New Qing Imperial History: Making Inner Asia Empire at Chengde  and Emperor Qianlong: Son of Heaven, Man of the World. He is also the author of numerous landmark articles in English, French, Chinese, and Japanese. In addition to a primary interest in the history of relations between China and Inner Asia, Elliott's research comprehends broader questions of empire, ethnicity, and the frontier. He teaches a range of courses on history, historiography, and historical methods, as well as classes in Manchu studies and literary Manchu. A former director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, since 2015 he has served as Harvard’s Vice Provost for International Affairs.