ann
(Ann)
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that given the unpredictability of both ecological conditions and human
response to them, a more comprehensive solution for Zhili, as well as
other afflicted northern provinces, was necessary. He wanted deliberation
on“how to reduce and consolidate hunting and herd areas to expand
agriculture.”Such expansion of both banner and commoner agricultural
colonies along the northern borders of Zhili and Shanxi“to effect an
inexhaustible supply of grain”was already underway. He also wanted to
“find ways to extract”the“produce of hills and marshes in all provinces
north and south”to feed“innumerable”itinerants.^34
Zhang Zhidong’s memorial reveals the overconnection of interdepend-
encies developed in order to overconcentrate arable resources. Some of
the limits of dynastic adaptation in maintaining the equilibrium of this
overconcentration in the face of diversity-driven pressures are also appar-
ent. Environmental relations north and south of the Yangzi were suffi-
ciently different to preclude the ideal arablist adaptation, namely, large-
scale water control to irrigate paddies. Attempts to maintain a relatively
monolithic agricultural regime on an imperial scale required constant
management, as had been recognized by Mongol, Han, and Manchu
dynasties alike. Their common solution, however, would amass arable
resources, in an increasingly precarious manner, to mainly benefit the
Han masses.
The resulting harvest of leftover agrarian biomass was still vulnerable
to many factors beyond state control, especially weather. Moreover,
overconcentration’s destabilizing effects became potentially more cata-
strophic over time as arablization successfully intensified. Zhang Zhi-
dong’s solution might solve water problems, but only in some areas and
only temporarily. Further dependency relations between people and
resources would be established in the process that might preserve and
even expand arable land and farmers. Greater disruption, however,
would eventually result as wells ran dry or state maintenance faltered or
water conflicts broke out to undermine the larger dependency network
initially made possible by well digging. By making an additional, expedi-
ent connection to ground water, dependency on a resource is created that
will probably not be self-sustaining, especially if bad weather persists and
human effort does not. Human agencyalonecould not maintain these
connections.
Moreover, full implementation of Zhang’s program involved the clear-
ance for cultivation of both Mongolian pastoral and foraging spaces to
overtly promote one set of environmental relations at the expense of
others. From the perspective of imperial pastoralism this would degrade
Borderland Hanspace in the Nineteenth Century 235
