Inhoudsopgave:
|
This unique and compelling analysis of Manchuriaâs environmental history demonstrates how the regionâs geography shaped Chinaâs past. Since the seventeenth century, the call of the Manchurian wilderness, with its abundant wildlife, timber, and mining deposits, has led some of the greatest empires in the world to do battle for its riches. Chinese, Japanese, Manchu, Russian, and other imperial forces have defied unrelenting summers and unforgiving winters as they fought for sovereignty over this vast âfrontier.â Until now, historians have focused on rivalries between Manchuriaâs colonizing forces. Empire and Environment in the Making of Manchuria examines the interplay of climate and competing imperial interests in the regionâs vibrant â and violent â cultural narrative. Families that settled this borderland reaped its riches while at the mercy of an unforgiving and hotly contested landscape. As Chinaâs strength as a world leader continues to grow, this volume invites further exploration of the indelible links between empire and environment. The role of Manchuria in Chinaâs social and political evolution provides context for understanding how the geopolitical future of this global economic powerhouse is rooted in its past. |
nl
en